Sports

Young players fueling UCLA's resurgence as Bruins beat Oregon in a wild one

Published

2 years ago

February 4, 2024

Young players fueling UCLA's resurgence as Bruins beat Oregon in a wild one

The final minutes used to be a scary stretch for UCLA’s young players.

Whether they were outrebounded, outscored or outsmarted by more veteran counterparts, the Bruins almost always found a way to falter through the season’s first two months.

There was a two-point loss to Marquette. A four-point setback against Gonzaga. A nine-point clunker against California.

All of which has made what has happened since even more remarkable.

Need a clutch basket? Dylan Andrews comes through.

How about a steal in the backcourt? Sebastian Mack is your guy.

A defensive rebound? Lazar Stefanovic snags it once again.

The Bruins coalesced down the stretch Saturday night, winning the final push in a game of wild momentum swings. Having built an early 18-point lead only to trail by halftime, UCLA prevailed with a fittingly crazy coda in which the Bruins ran off nine consecutive points on the way to a 71-63 victory over Oregon at Pauley Pavilion.

“Our guys have just learned to compete against older players,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said after a team relying heavily on seven freshmen and three sophomores logged its third consecutive victory and fifth in its last six games.

The fun and electricity is back inside the Bruins’ home arena.

Oregon guard Jermaine Couisnard, left, and UCLA guard Sebastian Mack fight for the ball during the first half of the Bruins’ win Saturday.

(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

So is the success.

Looking lost three weeks ago after a 46-point beatdown against Utah, UCLA (11-11 overall, 6-5 Pac-12) is suddenly only 1½ games out of first place in the conference standings after knocking Oregon (15-7, 7-4) into second behind front-runner Arizona.

Continuing to elevate his own play, not to mention his team, Andrews propelled UCLA with five points in its late push that started with the Bruins holding a 62-61 lead. After Mack made two free throws, Andrews swished a three-pointer and the Bruins got the ball back when Mack came up with a steal in the backcourt that led to an Oregon foul and two more free throws.

By the time Andrews buried a jumper with 46 seconds left, UCLA was ahead by 10 points and the only thing left to determine was the final margin.

For the surging Bruins, closing time was closeout time against the same Oregon team that had beaten them by five in late December in Eugene.

“We realized we just needed to be calm and be relaxed, and be a team,” Mack said, “and we’d be able to get through it.”

Andrews continued his recent spectacular play with 21 points and seven assists to go with just two turnovers, capitalizing on pick-and-roll coverage that repeatedly gave him open midrange shots. Mack fought through a bothersome toe injury to score 16 points and Stefanovic added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

There was a crackling energy inside the building with a season-high crowd of 8,723 that included basketball luminaries Jim Harrick, Swen Nater, Jamaal Wilkes and Robert Horry. They were treated to what has become a winning formula for the Bruins, who committed only seven turnovers and outrebounded their third consecutive opponent thanks in part to 11 offensive rebounds.

“You get more possessions than your opponent, you don’t need to be an econ major at UCLA to figure out you’ve got a better chance to win,” Cronin said, “but that takes effort, you know, to take care of the ball, to turn them over and to outrebound them, so I just think we’re learning what winning effort is.”

With UCLA center Adem Bona on the bench in foul trouble early in the second half, backup big man Aday Mara was literally in the middle of his team’s 9-0 push that gave it a 57-48 lead. Mara scored off two alley-oop passes from Andrews, showing how he might be a future force in the lob game.

“Being a seven-footer, he can come off the screen and just get to the basket,” Andrews said, “and you can throw it anywhere, he’ll grab it and put it right back in the basket.”

The run ended only when Mara and Mack, fighting for a rebound, accidentally scored for Oregon in the basketball equivalent of an own goal.

Oregon arrived much later than it wanted to before the game, the team bus pulling up to the arena after getting snarled in traffic related to an L.A. visit from President Biden.

By the time it was over, the Ducks might have wished they kept going.

They fell to a sharper and more connected team, UCLA rising to every moment that mattered. What was the best part for the Bruins?

“Winning and being together as a unit,” Mack said. “I’m loving it right now.”

Sports

Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

Published

10 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

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The chaos between LSU coaches who left Ole Miss alongside Lane Kiffin but are still coaching the Rebels in the College Football Playoff is certainly a whirlwind.

Joe Judge, Ole Miss’ quarterbacks coach, has found himself in the thick of the drama — while he is not headed for Baton Rouge, he’s had to wonder who he will be working with on a weekly basis.

When asked this week about what it’s like to go through all the trials and tribulations, Judge turned heads with his answer that evoked his New England Patriots days.

Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Aug. 22, 2013. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

“My next-door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” Judge said, according to CBS Sports. “I know this is still more chaotic.”

Hernandez was found guilty of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, which occurred just three years into his NFL career.

“If you watch those documentaries, my house is on the TV next door,” Judge added. “The detectives knocked on my door to find out where he was. I didn’t know. We just kind of talked to the organization. But it was obviously chaotic.”

Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the 2013 murder of semipro football player Odin Lloyd. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

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Judge, though, was able to compare the two situations to see how players can combat wild distractions.

“Those players that year handled that extremely well. Came out of that chaos, and we had some really good direction inside with some veterans and some different guys. You have something like that happen — how do you handle something like that? How do you deal with something like that? So you keep the focus on what you can handle, what you can control, which at that time was football for us, and we went through the stretch, and we were able to have success that year,” Judge said.

Judge also compared this scenario to the 2020 NFL season when he was head coach of the New York Giants, saying he would have “no idea” who would be available due to surprise positive COVID-19 tests.

Head coach Joe Judge of the New York Giants looks on during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The game took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The Rebels face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff Semifinal, on Thursday night.

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Sports

Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

Published

11 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

Calabasas pulled off a huge win in high school basketball on Tuesday night, handing Thousand Oaks its first defeat after 16 victories in a Marmonte League opener.

The Coyotes (13-5) have quietly turned around their season after a 2-4 start, winning 11 of their last 12 games.

One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. He also leads the team in taking charging fouls.

He transferred to Calabasas after his freshman year at Viewpoint.

As for beating Thousand Oaks, coach Jon Palarz said, “We got to play them at home and had great effort.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Sports

Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

Published

22 hours ago

January 8, 2026

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Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.

The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal.

Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.

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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.

There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.

It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.

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However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.

Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.

Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.

Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.

Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.