No. 21 Oregon and No. 24 UCLA came into Saturday’s game chasing first place in the Pacific-12 Conference.
The Ducks played better defense in the second half and remained unbeaten in conference play.
Tony Woods scored 18 points while missing one shot, Dominic Artis added 14 points, and Arsaian Kazemi had 12 points and 11 rebounds in Oregon’s 76-67 victory in Los Angeles.
“We knew we had to get better defensively,” Kazemi said. “Our game plan was to attack them off the dribble and just in general be more aggressive on the defensive end.”
The Ducks (16-2, 5-0 Pac-12) shot 60 percent in the second half and controlled the boards 40-31, including a 13-7 edge on the offensive glass. They pulled away with a 15-6 run that gave them the lead for good.
Travis Wear scored 17 points to lead the Bruins (15-4, 5-1), whose 10-game winning streak – including eight in a row at home – equaled their longest since 2008-09. Norman Powell added 11 points starting in place of Shabazz Muhammad, who finished with 10 points.
“We just can’t get too big-headed about our win streak and think this team is just going to lay over and give us the win,” Powell said. “We just needed to come out harder in the second half.”
That’s when UCLA shot 38 percent while contending with a mix of full-court and zone defense.
“They did a great job changing up looks and keeping us uncomfortable,” Wear said. “They’re a really, really good rebounding team. We got to box out and go seek the ball rather than just boxing out and hoping someone else is going to grab it. Go get it.”
No. 7 Arizona 71, at Arizona State 54: Mark Lyons scored 24 points and Nick Johnson added 19 as the Wildcats pulled away in the second half.
Arizona (16-1, 4-1) went on the decisive run after Sun Devils point guard Jahii Carson picked up his fourth foul midway through the second half. Solomon Hill added 13 points for the Wildcats, who scored 18 points off turnovers and outscored ASU by 14 inside.
Arizona State (14-4, 3-2) never recovered after Arizona’s run, thanks to 17 turnovers and a quiet game by second-leading scorer Carrick Felix, who had five points on 1-for-8 shooting.
At Stanford 69, California 59: Dwight Powell scored 17 points and Chasson Randle added 15 in helping the Cardinal (11-7, 2-3) knock off the rival Bears (10-7, 2-3).
Vashon High graduate John Gage added 14 points for Stanford. Josh Huestis had 12 rebounds to go with nine points.
Allen Crabbe and David Kravish each scored 14 points to lead Cal, which has lost four of its past six. Justin Cobbs added 13 points.
California trailed 43-42 with 13:20 remaining on a Crabbe jumper but the Cardinal eventually pulled away again.
At USC 69, Oregon State 68: Aaron Fuller’s only basket, a layup with 4.8 seconds remaining lifted the Trojans (8-11, 3-3) over the Beavers (10-8, 0-4).
The lead changed hands eight times in the final 2:52. Eric Moreland fed Joe Burton for a layup with 12.6 seconds to play to give Oregon State a 68-67 lead.
Devon Collier’s game-winning attempt was blocked by Eric Wise as time ran out.
Byron Wesley scored 12 of his 19 points in the first half, and Wise added 18 points for the Trojans. J.T. Terrell, a transfer from Peninsula College in Port Angeles, passed to Fuller for the game winner and scored 11 points.
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