UCLA basketball: Bruins trail No. 1 Kansas at halftime
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In a game that most people had figured for a blowout from the opening tip, UCLA remained within striking distance of No. 1 Kansas, trailing 35-28 at halftime.
The Bruins were led by forward Nikola Dragovic, whose shooting streak at the end of the half gave him 10 points and helped close a 13-point gap.
The score might have been even closer, UCLA’s pulling to within a point when Michael Roll stole a pass and converted on the fastbreak early in the half. But a blocked shot and a few turnovers shifted the momentum back to Kansas’ favor.
The Jayhawks went on a 8-0 run thanks in large part to strong inside play by forward Markieff Morris and a Tyshawn Taylor dunk.
Once again, the Bruins had trouble running their offense (read: scoring) with consistency, making 33% of their shots. And the defense continued to struggle, allowing Kansas to shoot 47%.
UCLA freshman Tyler Honeycutt played for the first time this season, scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds.
-- David Wharton