Field Level Media
Feb 16, 2018
Junior guard Aaron Holiday scored 17 points and recorded a career-best 10 assists to help UCLA post a 75-68 victory over Oregon State on Thursday in Pac-12 play at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
Senior center Thomas Welsh added 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds as the Bruins (18-8, 9-5 Pac-12) won for the fifth time in six games. Sophomore guard Prince Ali had 11 points and freshman guard Kris Wilkes scored 10 as UCLA remained in a tie for second place with USC.
Freshman forward Alfred Hollins scored a career-best 24 points for Oregon State, which lost its 20th consecutive road game. The Beavers' last victory in an opposing arena was against UCLA on March 5, 2016, which also is their only victory in their past 14 visits to Pauley Pavilion.
Junior guard Stephen Thompson Jr. added 13 points for the Beavers (13-12, 5-8), and sophomore forward Tres Tinkle had 11 points and seven assists. Junior forward Drew Eubanks matched a season best with six blocked shots and also collected nine rebounds.
UCLA controlled the boards with a 51-33 rebounding advantage. The Bruins shot just 39.3 percent from the field, while Oregon State shot 42.1 percent.
Oregon State trailed by nine early in the second half before scoring 10 in a row to take a 49-48 lead with 14:58 to play. UCLA answered with a 12-4 burst and took a 60-53 lead on Ali's jumper with 10:21 left.
The Beavers crept within 60-58 on two free throws by Tinkle before the Bruins used an 11-2 burst to take a 71-60 lead with 5:20 to go. Freshman guard Ethan Thompson drained a 3-pointer to move Oregon State within 72-66 with 3:44 remaining, and neither team scored for nearly three minutes until Hollins converted a layup but missed the ensuing free throw after being fouled.
Freshman guard Jaylen Hands hit two of four free throws, and Ali split two free throws to make it a seven-point game with 8.4 seconds left as the Bruins improved to 13-2 at home.
Holiday had 10 points and seven assists in the first half and Welsh had nine and 10 rebounds as UCLA took a 42-36 lead into the break.
--Field Level Media