UCLA survived a cold second half of shooting and got 18 points from Eric Dailey Jr., one of five Bruins to score in double figures in their 74-63 win over Oregon on Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles.
UCLA (7-2 overall, 2-0 in Big Ten) almost squandered an 18-point lead, but closed out the game by holding the Ducks to two points over the final five minutes. Dailey had eight rebounds, and Tyler Bilodeau added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Bruins, winners of four of their last five games.
Oregon (4-5, 0-2), who lost its fifth straight game, made only one of its final 10 shots and were missing a starter in Kwame Evans Jr., who did not play.
Jackson Shelstad’s 20 points led the way for Oregon. The Ducks welcomed back one of their top players, Nate Bittle, from an ankle injury, but he wasn’t too effective in his first game since Nov. 25. Bittle, a preseason all-Big Ten selection, missed all 10 of his shot attempts and had four rebounds and three points in 25 minutes.
Oregon came back from as many as 18 points down to trail 50-45 early in the second half after Shelstad connected for his fourth 3-pointer of the night. The Bruins held a 61-58 lead with 7:38 to play.
UCLA took an 18-point lead late in the first half following back-to-back baskets by Donovan Dent. The Bruins had taken the lead within the first few minutes of the game and never surrendering it the rest of the way.
Skyy Clark scored 10 first-half points and the Bruins knocked down 6 of 8 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes, two each for Dailey and Clark.
Oregon trailed 44-26 with 90 seconds to go in the opening half, but closed with five unanswered points to cut UCLA’s lead to 44-31 at the break.
Shelstad scored 11 first-half points, but the Ducks made just 10 of 28 shot attempts.
