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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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?

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

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Prep basketball roundup: Loyola upsets Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in Mission League opener

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Prep basketball roundup: Loyola upsets Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in Mission League opener

On the opening night of Mission League basketball action Wednesday, there was a huge upset, one close call and two easy victories.

Loyola, down 16 points going into the fourth quarter, started making threes and stunned Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on the road 72-68. Deuce Newt scored 23 points for the Cubs (10-9). First-year coach Cam Joyce saw his team take a leap in ability when Newt became eligible on Dec. 26 after transferring from Campbell Hall. Randall Sanders added 15 points.

No. 1-ranked Sierra Canyon (14-1) held on for a 50-47 win over St. Francis. The Golden Knights gave the Trailblazers a real scare with a chance to tie at the end of regulation. Maxi Adams made two clutch free throws in the final seconds for Sierra Canyon. Brandon McCoy had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Cherif Millogo scored 14 points for the Golden Knights.

Harvard-Westlake improved to 18-2 with an 84-51 win over Chaminade (18-2). Amir Jones made six threes and had 26 points. Joe Sterling added 21 points and Dominique Bentho had 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Crespi (14-6) defeated Bishop Alemany 87-59. Jasiah Williams and Christian Tshina-Nzambi each scored 20 points.

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On Friday night, it will be Notre Dame at Sierra Canyon, Harvard-Westlake at Crespi and Chaminade at Loyola.

Arcadia 87, Burroughs 51: Owen Eteuati Edwards scored 23 points and had eight rebounds for Arcadia.

Fairfax 77, Carson 40: Dominick Bowie had 14 points for the Lions.

San Pedro 67, Hamilton 37: Chris Morgan had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Pirates (13-4).

California 105, Saddleback 77: Jair Linares had 26 points for 11-7 California.

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Tesoro 78, Capistrano Valley 39: Dean Mika finished with 23 points for 18-3 Tesoro.

St. Monica 67, St. Bernard 58: St. Monica won in overtime. Jordan Ballard scored 20 points for St. Bernard.

Los Alamitos 57, Huntington Beach 47: Sophomore Isaiah Williamson contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds in the Sunset League win.

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Auburn fans shower officials with debris after wild buzzer-beater gets overturned

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Auburn fans shower officials with debris after wild buzzer-beater gets overturned

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A chaotic scene unfolded at Auburn University on Tuesday night as a wild buzzer-beater was waved off well after the Tigers had celebrated on their own court.

With 0.6 seconds remaining and Auburn trailing 90-88, KeShawn Murphy, somehow left wide open, caught an inbounds pass and nailed a long 3-pointer for what was thought to be the game-winner.

However, officials went to the scorer’s table to review the play, which was awfully close.

 

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Auburn Tigers players watch the replay of a possible game-winning shot that was called back as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Ultimately, officials ruled that the shot had not gone off in time, ending the Tigers’ celebration and prompting one from Texas A&M.

The officials quickly made themselves public enemy number one and were showered with debris from fans on their way off the court. At least one referee needed his head to be covered.

One fan sitting courtside even turned his back and threw his drink over his shoulder aimed at an official.

“They didn’t say a word. They just said it was no good and ran off the floor. I probably wouldn’t want to talk to me in that moment, anyway,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl, who took over for his dad, Bruce this season, said after the game. “So, I get why they’d run away from me. Just from the angles that I saw, it looked like it was off his fingers. But that was just, I don’t have all the same angles they have.”

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Texas A&M Aggies players celebrate victory as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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It is now six losses in their last 10 games for the Tigers after starting 5-1. They lost in the Final Four last year to Florida, who won the national championship over Houston.

Auburn (9-6, 0-2) led 47-37 at halftime and extended the margin to 61-45 with 12:29 remaining.

KeShawn Murphy of the Auburn Tigers reacts after officials ruled that his last-second shot did not beat the shot clock to win the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena on Jan. 6, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne/Getty Images)

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Texas A&M answered with a steady run fueled by outside shooting, taking its first lead at 8:42 when Pop Isaacs buried a 3-pointer. The Aggies followed with back-to-back triples from Isaacs to open a five-point cushion that they would not relinquish, by the skin of their teeth.

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Former NFL player Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after accident on his ranch

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Former NFL player Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after accident on his ranch

Two-time All-American wide receiver and prominent Outdoors Channel host Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after an accident on his ranch in Texas, his family said in a statement.

Shipley, 40, was described as stable after remaining hospitalized Tuesday night in Austin. The statement said a machine that he was operating near his hometown of Burnet caught fire. The former Texas great suffered “severe burns on his body.”

Shipley abruptly retired in 2012 after three NFL seasons primarily because of persistent concussion issues and chronic knee problems. He quickly transitioned to television shows that showcased his passion for deer hunting, co-hosting “The Bucks of Tecomate” and “Tecomate Whitetail Nation.”

“It was not hard at all,” Shipley said at the time of retiring at 27. “Only because I never saw myself as a football player first. Don’t get me wrong, I worked my tail off for football and I loved it but never saw that as my whole identity because I had such a big background in outdoors. Really, with this opportunity I had I was actually pretty excited about moving forward.”

Although he enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010 with 52 receptions for 600 yards and three touchdowns, he is best remembered as a record-setting player at Texas.

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Shipley starred as a receiver and a kick returner from 2006 to 2009, setting program single-season records in 2009 with 116 receptions and 1,489 yards. He also remains the career leader for receptions with 248 and ranks second in career receiving yards with 3,191, behind Roy Williams. Shipley also returned four punts or kickoffs for touchdowns.

After being drafted in the third round by the Bengals, he became one of the most popular players with Cincinnati fans, and his No. 11 jersey was worn by thousands. After a debilitating knee injury early in the 2011 season, he was never the same player, and he had short stints with Tampa Bay and Jacksonville before retiring.

According to his family, Jordan was operating a machine at his ranch when it caught fire. He managed to free himself from the machine, but “not before sustaining severe burns on his body in the process.” Jordan was airlifted to the hospital in Austin.

“He was able to get to one of his workers on the ranch, who drove him to a local hospital. He was then care-flighted to Austin, where he remains in critical but stable condition,” the statement said.

Shipley’s younger brother, former Texas wide receiver Jaxon Shipley, 33, asked for prayers in a statement on Instagram: “Please pray for full healing and no infections or other issues on his road to recovery. I don’t want to get into all the details, other than his life was spared today by the grace of God and the sheer will to live. I believe prayer is effective so I’m asking anyone and everyone to lift Jordan up in prayer.”

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