Six games. Twelve days.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin knew it would be tough. The players knew it would be a challenge. The former half of the gauntlet was at home, resulting in three wins.
The first test on the road did not go as well. The 12th-ranked Bruins shot poorly and fell to Oregon 68-63. Cronin knew the Ducks were more desperate than his UCLA team – with a small dash of shade toward the officials.
“It’s hard to win when you go 4 for 24 from three on the road against a team that is fighting for its [NCAA] tournament life. It’s just hard,” Cronin said after Thursday night’s loss. “That being said though, I’ll say they shot 24 free throws to our 14. Let’s just say I’m not happy with that. I thought there was a lot of contact at the rim, both ways.”
The show must go on and finishing 5-1 would be a pretty good feather in the cap for UCLA, which must try to get the fourth win of that stretch at Oregon State at 1 p.m. Saturday on CBS.
UCLA beat Oregon State at home 81-65 on Jan. 15.
The Beavers (3-23, 1-15) had USC on the ropes Thursday but fell to the Trojans in double overtime. It proves that a win total, like Oregon State’s lowly three, means nothing in a road conference game.
Let’s not forget Cronin’s philosophy on road wins.
“When you win on the road in conference play, you get a shower, something to eat and that’s it. It’s not supposed to be pretty,” he said.
The availability of Johnny Juzang for Saturday afternoon’s game is questionable after he hurt his right ankle and played just 11 minutes of the first half against Oregon. He did not return in the second half. UCLA (20-6, 12-5) countered Juzang’s absence and poor shooting with Jake Kyman and David Singleton, but it didn’t work.
“Well, we’ve got Jake and we have Dave, but nobody could make any shots,” Cronin said.
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If there’s a team UCLA can get its shooting back on track against, it’s the Beavers, who are last in in the Pac-12 Conference in defensive field goal percentage at 48.8%. Their 3-point defense is second to last (ahead of USC) at 35.5″.
“We just couldn’t get one to fall. It was just a rough shooting night, we’ve got to put it past us and move onto the next game,” Bruins point guard Tyger Campbell said.
No. 12 UCLA (20-6, 12-5) at Oregon State (3-23, 1-15)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Gill Coliseum, Corvalis, Ore.
TV/radio: CBS/AM 570