As the Pac-12 conference comes to an end, the competition level only increases. The battle between UCLA and Oregon on Thursday afternoon showcased how much the conference will be missed. A late hook shot by senior center N’Faly Dante gave Oregon the lead and they ultimately held off the Bruins 68-66.
Oregon head coach Dana Altman said the Ducks improved in the second half compared to how they played the first half during his post-game press conference.
“We regained our composure and played a lot better until the last four minutes. We had a couple turnovers, but we did what we had to do,” Altman said.
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Both teams battled back and forth through the first half. UCLA led 34-29 at halftime. The pace increased dramatically in the second half. Sophomore forward Adem Bona found himself in foul trouble; he picked up his third and fourth foul at the 15:40 and 10:14 marks respectively.
Oregon went on an 8-2 run in the second half, taking their first lead since the early stages of the game at 37-36.
Despite holding a double-digit lead of 63-53, Oregon faced a late surge from UCLA, closing the gap to one point with 1:34 remaining. As the game neared its end, free throws were crucial. Freshman guard Jackson Shelstad made one of his two free throws to put Oregon ahead 68-66. UCLA attempted a desperate play with no timeouts left. Unfortunately, sophomore guard Dylan Andrews missed, sealing Oregon’s victory.
Shelstad led the Ducks with 12 points; junior forward Jadrian Tracey, red-shirt senior guard Jermaine Couisnard, and senior Kario Oquendo scored 10 points each.
Andrews led UCLA with 24 points, following freshman guard Sebastian Mack adding 16.
Head Coach Mick Cronin addressed what caused the Bruins to fall short in his post-game press conference.
“We didn’t make shots. We were two for eleven and missed a bunch of free throws. That’s what got us beat,” Cronin said.
