UCLA Downs Cal, 50-40

The Cal Golden Bears traveled to Los Angeles but forgot their offense. After losing to USC, 88-56 on Thursday night, the Bears (8-10, 2-3) managed just 40 in a 50-40 loss to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. Cal shot 30.4% (17-of-56) from the field on the night, including just 28% (7-of-25) in the second half. The Bears managed just four points in the first 14 minutes of the second half and scored just 19 overall in the second frame.

Cal struggled early offensively. Sophomore wing Matt Bradley scored the team's first five points and it wasn’t until 10:54 to go in the first half when someone other than Bradley made a shot when Andre Kelly grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back, making the score 11-7 in favor of UCLA (9-9, 2-3).

UCLA extended its lead to eight in the first half but the Bears kept scrapping and battling to keep it close. The Bruins took a seven-point lead at 18-11 with 7:01 to play in the first half before the Bears slowly began chipping away at the score. Cal first got within one after a mid-range jumper from Kuany Kuany brought the score to 20-19 with 1:51 left in the first half. On the Bears’ last play of the first half, Thorpe grabbed two offensive rebounds before putting back a layup at the rim to bring the Bears back within one at 22-21. 

Cal shot just 32% from the field in the first half but out-hustled the Bruins, earning nine rebounds and turning UCLA over nine times leading to seven points. The Bears out-rebounded UCLA 18-15 in the first half. Bradley led Cal with nine points in the first half while Paris Austin chipped in six points. Cal took 11 more field goal attempts than UCLA in the first half.

The Bears had no answer early for UCLA sophomore forward Jalen Hill, who had 11 points in the first half on 4-of-4 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. However, the Bears did hold Hill to zero points in the second half. But it didn’t matter much. 

Despite the cold shooting, UCLA was almost equally offensively-challenged. Cal was actually able to take a 23-22 lead 20 seconds into the second half after a Lars Thiemann layup. Jaime Jaquez answered with a finish at the rim, but a Grant Anticevich put the Bears back on top, 25-24 with 16:55 to go in the game.

And then the Cal offense came to a grinding halt. The Bears went without a point for the next 11 minutes of game time as the Bruins retook and stretched their lead to 13 on a 14-0 run. Cal went another 1:20 without a point and the Bruins pushed the lead to 41-27 with 4:55 to go in the game. 

Cal actually brought the game back within single digits after Paris Austin made two free-throws with 3:44 to go. Bradley drilled a three to bring the Bears within eight points at 43-35 with 3:15 to play. But the Bears wouldn’t get closer.

Bradley led the Bears with 17 points, but it was on 7-of-15 shooting from the field including 2-of-9 from three. As a team, the Bears shot just 3-of-17 (18%) from three. Just Bradley and freshman Dimitrios Klonaras made threes and Klonaras’ three was with seconds to go in the game.

If you’re searching for a positive, Cal did out-rebound UCLA, 35-33, including 16 offensive rebounds. However, the Bears committed 15 turnovers, including eight in the second half. Freshman forward DJ Thorpe paced the Bears in rebounds with nine — a career-high.

After starting Pac-12 play 2-1 with wins over Washington State and Washington, Cal is now 2-3 and tied for eighth with Arizona State and UCLA. Cal has an entire week to figure out its offensive woes before a rematch with Stanford at Haas Pavilion next Sunday.