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UCLA’s once rocky season has taken a turn for the better with three victories in the past four games as Oregon State pays a visit to Los Angeles on Thursday.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin noted Tuesday that from his perspective, the team “should be sitting on four in a row.”
The lone setback in the stretch for the Bruins (9-11, 4-5 Pac-12) came in a 77-71 loss Jan. 20 at Arizona, when they led by as many as 19 points. UCLA otherwise has regrouped from a four-game losing skid with wins over Washington, Arizona State and Southern California on Saturday.
The Bruins’ 65-50 road victory over the Trojans kept their rival to a season low in points. With leading scorer Sebastian Mack (13.4 points per game) held to four points against USC, Dylan Andrews stepped up with 20 while Adem Bona recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
“When you’re coaching at UCLA, it’s not the year you want to have,” Cronin said, “but it’s a long way from over.”
UCLA looks to continue its second-half push against Oregon State, which arrives with some positive momentum of its own.
The Beavers (11-9, 3-6) snapped out of a five-game losing skid last week with a home sweep of Arizona and Arizona State.
“Being as young as we are, it just took some painful lessons,” Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said following the Beavers’ 84-71 victory over Arizona State on Saturday. “But we’re just going to keep building off it.”
Jordan Pope scored 31 in the upset of then-No. 9 Arizona on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range, then scored 19 against Arizona State.
The Beavers’ leading scorer at 17.8 points per game, Pope finished with 13 points in Oregon State’s 69-62 loss to UCLA on Dec. 28, while shooting just 5 of 16 from the floor.
Five Bruins scored in double-figures in that meeting, one of only two losses in 13 home games for Oregon State this season. Andrews and Bona each posted 13 points to lead the way.
The Beavers are chasing their first road win of the season and first win at UCLA since March 2016.
–Field Level Media
