UCLA Basketball: How Bruins Held Off Oregon Down The Stretch
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball team got one of their better wins of the year this past weekend. They took down the Oregon Ducks by a score of 71-63 in front of a rowdy Pauley Pavilion
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin had some thoughts on why the Bruins were able to hold off the Ducks down the stretch of the game.
“We played smart down the stretch. Really smart defensively. Our guys knew we had fouls to give, so we were aggressive closing off their drives. Berke [Buyuktuncel] took a charge. We got some strips. We were sitting on two fouls to give still. We communicated that to them in the last five minutes. Just playing smarter. Obviously, Dylan [Andrews] continues. Twenty-one [points] and seven [assists]. Dylan continues to grow as a player."
UCLA stepped up their defense when it mattered most, and it helped get them the huge win. Cronin praised his players for their efforts, and it was an all around solid performance.
"Their pick and roll coverage, they kind of give you that shot. Caleb Love had 37 on them. They dropped [N’Faly] Dante really deep. Tyger [Campbell] had 28 last year against that drop defense. Dylan made nine baskets against it tonight. We had different guys step up. Adem [Bona] is such a huge factor even though his stats don’t show it tonight. He was dominant early, then obviously he got in foul trouble.”
The Bruins used a total team effort to shut down Oregon. They have been played much better of late, and seem to be hitting their stride at the right time.
With the NCAA Tournament coming down the line in a few weeks, the Bruins have saved their best for last.
