No. 10 UCLA rallies Past No. 5 Oregon, Enberg Honored At Halftime
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Holiday gave UCLA its first lead on a 3-pointer with 4 minutes remaining in the game and the 10th-ranked Bruins rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit to beat No. 5 Oregon 82-79 on Thursday night.
Holiday and star freshman Lonzo Ball scored 15 points each, combining to score UCLA's final seven points. Ball had 11 assists. The Bruins (22-3, 9-3 Pac-12) moved into a third-place tie with idle California in the league standings.
Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey scored 19 points each for the second-place Ducks (21-4, 10-2). Dorsey missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 23 seconds left.
The Bruins closed with a furious rush, battling for rebounds after not getting back to defend early in the game. Holiday's go-ahead basket was part of a 33-15 run to end the game.
Two free throws by Jordan Bell got the Ducks to 80-79 with 19 seconds to go. Holiday got fouled and made both to preserve the win before Payton Pritchard's 3-pointer missed with 1 second left.
The Bruins made two runs in the first half that twice got them within five points after trailing by 19. But the Ducks quickly extended their lead to 15 points early in the second half when Brooks hit three 3-pointers and Dorsey added another.
Before Holiday's go-ahead 3, he split two Oregon defenders and made an off-balance layup, getting fouled and making the free throw.
Pritchard made a 3-pointer that drew the Ducks within two before Ball hit a 3-pointer and coolly shook his right hand.
The Ducks raced out to a 37-18 lead, hitting six 3-pointers and capping the spurt with a 14-3 run while the Bruins struggled to get back on defense.
UCLA answered with 14 consecutive points, including a 3-pointer by Holiday and two by Alford, to close within five.
Oregon regrouped and closed the half on an 11-7 run to lead 48-39.
BIG PICTURE
Oregon: Starting with UCLA, the Ducks play five of their final seven regular-season games on the road. The Bruins were the second of three straight 20-win teams the Ducks play in eight days.
UCLA: The Bruins play five of their final seven games at home, where their only loss has been to Arizona.
OH MY!
UCLA honored broadcaster Dick Enberg at halftime. From 1966-75, he called eight of the school's national championship seasons under coach John Wooden. Former Bruin stars Bill Walton and Jamaal Wilkes presented him with a No. 8 jersey at halftime.
"That's not going to happen again," Enberg said before the game. "Who was looking over me? To be able to come in and ride the Wooden Wave."
The 82-year-old announcer retired in October after a 60-year career that included working the Final Four, Olympics, Super Bowl, Wimbledon, Masters and U.S. Open while uttering countless calls of "Oh my!" in describing a play that nearly defied description.
Wearing UCLA's colors with a blue tie and gold pocket square, Enberg said his career highlight was calling the Bruins' game against Houston at the Astrodome in 1968. It was the first non-playoff college or NBA game shown in primetime.
He described the game as being "the rocket ship" that popularized college basketball.
The media room at Pauley Pavilion will be named in his honor.
UP NEXT
Oregon: Visits Southern California on Saturday.
UCLA: Hosts last-place Oregon State on Sunday.
