Team May Be Tired, but Up to the Task

The Bruin defense that helped win the Oregon game Thursday night with three critical plays in the final minute has also allowed each of the last two opponents to shoot better than 50%.

Not only that, but Washington made 56.3% in the second half to finish at 54.5% overall and Oregon made 69.2% of its shots in the second half en route to 51.9%, an indication UCLA is wearing down.

There are other signs the Bruins are a tired team, all of which have caught the attention of the coaching staff. Players are getting beat to loose balls and are not fighting through screens as before.

The irony was that defense saved them Thursday night.

“That’s been one of our trademarks,” Coach Steve Lavin said. “Even in the days when I’ve been disappointed in their execution defensively, their effort is there.”

Coming up: Sunday vs. Oregon State, Thursday at Stanford.