UCLA Senior Had Big Bounce-Back Game Against Oregon

UCLA men's basketball took a nail-biter over the No. 12 Oregon Ducks, and senior guard Kobe Johnson was one key contributor to the victory.

Nov 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) celebrates against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins fought and clawed and ultimately came away with the biggest victory of the season against the Oregon Ducks on Sunday, improving to 8-1 on the young season.

Going into the matchup, the Bruins needed a strong game from Kobe Johnson, and that is exactly what he delivered.

Johnson played for 21 minutes against the Ducks, recording 11 points and five rebounds -- three on offense and two on defense. The experienced member of the UCLA Bruins made sure he came to play when his team needed him most.

Prior to the game against the Ducks, Johnson, over his previous two games, had taken a step back in production, dropping seven points total in a two-game span and seeing decreasing rebound numbers, a statistic which Johnson leads UCLA in.

Johnson added to his point totals by draining three of his five three-point attempts and hitting four of seven field goal shots as well. Johnson kept the shooting and point-making to Eric Dailey Jr, who dropped 19 points for the Bruins.

The UCLA Bruins needed the assistance of Johnson when it came to playing Oregon, given the dominance that the Ducks have shown against their opponents this season. The aim of the victory for the Bruins was in their three-point shots.

The Bruins finished with 52.2% when it came to shooting beyond the line, whereas the Ducks struggled some, posting a 42.9% success rate. While the Ducks did make more of their field goal shots, the Bruins made sure they drained their threes.

Johnson was fired up for his teammate Dylan Andrews, who drained the last shot to give UCLA the lead with 0.04 seconds left in the game. The emotions shown for his UCLA teammates have bolstered Johnson's court presence for the rest of the team.

The Bruins and Johnson will have a tad break before going back to work when they take on the Arizona Wildcats. The Bruins will likely be underdogs going into the matchup. If anything can be taken away from the UCLA-Oregon game, it is to not count out UCLA so easily.

That game will be on Saturday.

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