EUGENE, Ore. _ Going from unbeaten overall to winless in the Pac-12 Conference has changed the dynamic for UCLA. A midseason game against middling Oregon State on Friday night at Gill Coliseum has taken on new meaning.
"That's a must-win for us," Bruins Coach Steve Alford said Wednesday after his team dropped its conference opener to Oregon, 89-87, on a three-pointer in the final second for its first defeat of the season.
Second-ranked UCLA finally encountered a team that could match it offensively, the No. 21 Ducks hurting the Bruins in transition and on the perimeter while building a 12-point lead in the first half. The Bruins rallied largely because they tightened their defense before faltering over the final 3{ minutes, which coincided with Oregon's game-ending 15-5 run.
"You can't be that you're up six or seven and you think that the game's over," Alford said. "You've got to finish."
The Bruins didn't end the game with their usual four-guard lineup, presumably in part because center Thomas Welsh was playing well in his return from a bruised right knee and in part because of the continued struggles of guard Isaac Hamilton. Hamilton made only one of six shots, had three turnovers and committed a foul early in the second half that appeared to incense Alford. Hamilton has made two of 18 three-pointers over his last four games.
UCLA players and coaches alike said they were eager to see how they would respond to their first loss of the season after a 13-0 start.
"I think it's good that we have some adversity," said guard Bryce Alford, who missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity at the free-throw line with 8.9 seconds left and his team ahead by one point. "This team needs some adversity to go through, but you never want to lose a game and we had this game. We feel like we kind of blew one at the end, but we're very confident we can bounce back."
Guard Lonzo Ball, who suffered his first defeat since the state championship game at the end of his junior season at Chino Hills High, did not speak with reporters afterward but appeared to be relatively upbeat, according to Welsh.
"He was telling us to keep our heads up, just get ready for the next one," Welsh said, "because it's one of those things that happens in sports and obviously it's his first loss in a while but we've just got to get ready for the next one now."
