UCLA men's basketball defeated Oregon State 67-57 in round one of the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament Wednesday. The win means that the Bruins advance to round two of the tournament, and will play Oregon on Thursday.
The Bruins took a comfortable lead at the half at 34-22, with a 12-2 run that gave them momentum for the remainder of the game. Though Oregon State would inch at their lead at several points in the second half, they never truly threatened UCLA from getting the win.
This game saw UCLA return to their defensive strengths for the second game in a row. UCLA allowed less than 60 points to the Beavers, which is key if the Bruins want to make a run at winning the tournament, which is the lone way the team can qualify for March Madness.
The star of the game for UCLA was unquestionably Dylan Andrews. Andrews scored a career-high 31 points, which is also the most points scored by any Bruin in a single game this season. Andrews also drilled seven of nine three-point attempts and shot 73.3% overall from the field. What a day. Along with this total, Andrews added two rebounds and four assists.
Behind Andrews, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Adem Bona finished second in scoring for the team. Despite a rough first half in which Bona struggled with five turnovers, he finished the game with 17 points, six rebounds and two assists.
Even without All-Pac-12 freshman team member Sebastian Mack scoring a point, the Bruins managed to get a secure win. Now, No. 5 UCLA will go to battle against No. 4 Oregon, which will provide a greater challenge for the Bruins.
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