With nine seconds left in the first half of UCLA’s game against Oregon, the Ducks’ Tajuan Porter drained a 3-pointer to give his team a 34-31 lead heading into halftime. It was Porter’s third 3-pointer of the half, and it served as a fitting exclamation point to a first half that saw Oregon’s long-range shooting cause problems for UCLA’s defense.
While the Ducks’ shooting cooled off somewhat as the Bruins pulled away in the second half ““ Oregon shot 5-for-11 from beyond the arc after the break, after going 4-for-7 before ““ their trigger-happy style helped keep the game close until the final few minutes.
“The 3-pointers kept them in the game,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “Nine-for-18 (for the game), that’s phenomenal shooting. That’s what they do. When they’re really at their best they’re knocking down 3s.”
The different style of offense forced the Bruins to adjust their defense. While they stayed in their usual man-to-man, they couldn’t do as much switching and helping as they normally do, for fear of leaving an open Duck shooter.
“They’re good ball-handlers and just as good shooters, so you’re really on your own,” junior guard Darren Collison said. “You’ve got to make them dribble into their shot as much as possible, and when they do beat you, you can’t really help off your guy.”
“You’ve got to stay at home and just contest. You can’t take away their shot, but you can lower their percentage as much as possible.”
Oregon’s more guard-oriented offense forced Collison and sophomore Russell Westbrook to log heavy minutes shadowing the Ducks’ shooters. Collison, who spent much of the game shadowing Porter, played just less than the full 40 minutes. Westbrook played 37 minutes despite tweaking his ankle midway through the second half. But Howland says he’s not concerned about overworking his two primary guards.
“(Oregon’s) a hard matchup,” the coach said. “It would be easier to get guys in there for a few minutes, but the way they play where they space the floor and draw and kick is very difficult to defend.”
“(Collison and Westbrook) are so good and such highly conditioned athletes … (they) can go forever and still play hard.”
MBAH A MOUTE COMING BACK STRONG: Junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute continued his solid play since returning from the ankle injury that kept him home from the Washington road trip. He had nine points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes, as well as two assists and two steals. He also committed no turnovers, after owning five on Thursday night against Oregon State.
Mbah a Moute had missed the Bruins’ first game against the Ducks due to a concussion, and his defensive versatility provided a lift for the Bruins on Saturday. He spent much of the game defending the 6-foot-9 forward Maarty Leunen, then switched on to the 5-foot-6 Porter for stretches late in the second half.
“(Mbah a Moute) can guard a one through a five,” Howland said. “That versatility is really incredible when you look at his ability to move his feet, stay in front of the ball, and also just how tough he is on the inside.”