UCLA ends skid, dumps Oregon State in Pac-12 opener
Dec 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts against the Maryland Terrapins in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. credits: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Five UCLA players scored in double figures Thursday and the Bruins used a 17-2, second-half run to end a four-game losing streak, stopping Oregon State 69-62 in each team's Pac-12 Conference opener in Corvallis, Ore.
Dylan Andrews and Adem Bona each scored 13 points for the Bruins (6-6, 0-1 Pac-12), while Brandon Williams came off the bench to add 11.
Lazar Stefanovic and Will McClendon tallied 10 points apiece as UCLA hit 53.3 percent of its field-goal attempts after halftime.
Dexter Akanno scored a game-high 22 points for the Beavers (8-4, 0-1), whose five-game winning streak ended. Oregon State had been 8-0 at home.
Oregon State's Jordan Pope added 13 points and four assists but made only 5 of 16 shots from the field. Tyler Bilodeau chipped in 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
Trailing 38-37 with 14 minutes left in the game after Akanno sank a 3-pointer, UCLA went on its game-altering spurt. McClendon started the run with a 3-pointer and ended it with a layup at the 9:02 mark for a 54-40 advantage.
Oregon State endured a stretch of nearly six minutes in which it made just one field goal.
The Bruins finished with a 25-11 cushion in second-chance points and a 21-12 advantage in bench points.
The first half looked like more of the same for UCLA as it again struggled to hit shots while adding rebounding issues to the list of worries.
The Bruins needed nine minutes to reach double figures on offense and started the game an ugly 4 of 17 from the field. They went more than three minutes at one stage without scoring before a 3-pointer from Stefanovic at the 7:03 mark ended that drought.
Oregon State was able to carve out a pair of nine-point leads as Pope got going late in the half, accounting for eight straight points with a mid-range jumper, a 3-pointer and an assist on an Akanno 3-pointer. Akanno led the way with nine points as the Beavers took a 28-24 advantage to the break.
—Field Level Media
Los Angeles Chargers Shouldn’t Resist Justin Herbert Trade
5 Fights to Make After UFC Vegas 112
Brewers vs. Dodgers Game 3 Predictions, Picks and Odds
The 5-0 49ers Are Finally Getting the Respect They Deserve
Jorge Masvidal Makes $100K Pick to Beat Islam Makhachev
Dana White's Contender Series Week 10 Predictions and Picks
- Bills vs. Rams Odds, Prediction and Best Bet for MNF
- Three Longshot NFL Futures Worth Betting in Week 5
- Falcons vs. Ravens Odds, Prediction and Best Bet for Sunday Night Football
- White Sox vs. Guardians ALDS Game 5 Betting Pick
- UFC Vegas 122 Betting Odds: The Biggest Line Moves Before Allen vs. Duncan
- UFC Vegas 122 Picks and Predictions: Three Bets for Allen vs. Duncan
- College Football Week 6 Bets: Three Picks for Saturday’s Biggest Games

