Cold Shooting Plagues Ducks Against Bruins

Saturday, December 6

Los Angeles, Calif.

3 p.m.

University of Oregon

4-5,0-2Big Ten

UCLA

7-2,2-0Big Ten

Oregon

UCLA

Photo by: Rian Yamasaki

01/28/26 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon men's basketball team struggled to get things going offensively on Wednesday night as the Ducks dropped a 73-57 decision to UCLA in front of 5,721 fans in Matthew Knight Arena.

Oregon (8-13, 1-9 Big Ten) shot just 35.6 percent from the field while seeing its losing streak extend to seven games. The Ducks, who continue to play shorthanded with three of their top four scorers out due to injury, were led by a career-best 24 points from junior Kwame Evans Jr.

How it Happened: Oregon opened the game with an easy lay-up by Evans off a pass from Sean Stewart, but the Ducks would miss their next 10 attempts from the field as UCLA (15-6, 7-3 Big Ten) jumped out to an 8-2 lead.

Evans ended the cold streak with a three-pointer at the 13:54 mark, and he answered a three-point play by the Bruins with another triple. A Jamari Phillips three-pointer that was nearly from the logo at midcourt cut UCLA's lead to 13-11, but the Bruins took advantage of continued shooting struggles by the Ducks and used a 13-2 run to go up 26-13.

UCLA took a 36-22 lead into halftime as Oregon shot just 8-of-31 from the field and 4-of-17 from three-point range.

The second half got off to a similar start, with Dezdrick Lindsay opening the scoring with a lay-up but the Bruins then answering with an 8-0 run. Evans gave Oregon a jolt with seven straight points to fuel a 12-2 run that cut UCLA's lead to 10 and forced a Bruin timeout at the 13:16 mark, punctuated by a coast-to-coast steal and dunk from Stewart.

That was as close as Oregon would get in the second half, with a quick basket out of the timeout starting a 9-2 run for UCLA. Oregon shot 48.1 percent from the floor in the second half compared to 25.0 percent in the first half but was unable to string together more than four consecutive points over the final 10 minutes of play.

Oregon's defense was able to hold UCLA to just 39.7 percent from the floor for the night, but the Bruins took advantage of 17 fouls by the Ducks and shot 20-of-23 from the free-throw line. Tyler Bilodeau scored 18 points to lead four Bruins in double figures.

Who Stood Out: Evans shot 9-of-18 from the field for a career-high 24 points while adding eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks, and he scored 16 of Oregon's 35 points in the second half. Phillips made three triples for a career-high nine points, Stewart added six points and eight rebounds, and Lindsay had seven points and six boards.

Notable: Evans logged his third 20-point game of the season and sixth of his career … With leading scorers Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad already out with injuries, the Ducks also played without starting guard Takai Simpkins for the first time this season … Oregon's famous "Kamikaze Kids" team from the 1970s was honored on the court at halftime.

Up Next: Oregon will be back in Matthew Knight Arena on Sunday to host Iowa at 5 p.m. PT on FS1.