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.