Oregon trail leads to UCLA’s first loss

So unused to losing basketball games are the UCLA Bruins that junior leader Arron Afflalo stood in a cold corridor at McArthur Court shivering under one towel and wiping his eyes with another.

Not that it was realistic to expect the top-ranked Bruins to run through an undefeated season, but this first loss, a Pacific 10 Conference road game in the head-splittingly loud arena, hit Afflalo with an unexpected melancholy.

The Bruins (14-1, 3-1) were beaten, 68-66, by No. 16 Oregon (14-1, 2-1) and a sold-out crowd of 9,087 never stopped screaming. The Ducks were inspired rather than depressed by their 84-82 upset loss to USC on Thursday and began Saturday’s morning game with well-conceived aggression.

Even as UCLA center Lorenzo Mata and forward Josh Shipp scored quick layups, the Ducks never slowed down. They play what UCLA Coach Ben Howland calls “a four-guard offense” and those guards were eager to test their dribbling skills and speed against UCLA’s accomplished backcourt of Darren Collison and Afflalo. And they played it well.

“They did a really great job of driving the ball by us,” Howland said. “And [Aaron] Brooks was spectacular. He’s an astounding talent.”

Brooks, a senior, finished with a game-high 25 points after he had scored 31 in Oregon’s loss Thursday.

Afflalo often had the responsibility of stopping Brooks. “I never did,” the disheartened Afflalo said. “It was my fault.”

The Bruins were fighting from behind most of the game. They owned a brief 4-0 lead, but center Maarty Leunen (18 points, seven rebounds), who is comfortable on the perimeter, made a three-pointer after Brooks made a layup for Oregon’s first points.

UCLA’s last lead of the game was at 8-5 when Luc Richard Mbah a Moute put back a Shipp miss. But Leunen made two free throws, Bryce Taylor scored on a driving layup, Taylor drove into the lane and scored and a tone was set. The Ducks led, 12-8, and were establishing their ability to beat UCLA’s players off the dribble.

“I think it was a combination of our outside shooting and then our ability to drive,” Brooks said. “And when we got a little lead, our crowd was really on them.”

As the game progressed, the Bruins fell behind by as many as 10 points, 40-30, which was the halftime score. And though they twice got as close as two, the Bruins made their most significant attack starting with 3:31 left and Oregon leading, 64-56.

Afflalo scored on a reverse and followed with a three-pointer. That made it 64-61.

Two Leunen free throws gave the Ducks a 66-61 lead, but Collison drew a foul while he was shooting a three-pointer and made two of his foul shots. When Taylor badly missed another three-pointer, Collison made one. With 22.7 seconds left the Bruins were tied, 66-66, and seemed about to pull out a win they might not have deserved.

“As bad as we played,” Mata said, “we had a chance.”

Not for long. Brooks, using that quick dribble again, left Collison and Afflalo behind and scored on an open 12-footer with 13.4 seconds left to give Oregon a 68-66 lead.

There was plenty of time for Howland to create a play and, the coach said, “I made a mistake.” Howland said he decided to attack and try for a three-pointer to win the game and run off the court instead of going for two and overtime.

Collison said he was supposed to create something with his dribble, but the sophomore ran into a wall of Ducks. Collison threw the ball to Shipp, who took an off-balance heave. For a moment Mike Roll had the rebound but lost it, the buzzer sounded and fans stormed the court.

“I never thought I’d feel this low,” Afflalo said. “I just thought this team couldn’t be beat.”

Shipp, who needed treatment on a sore right hamstring for 40 minutes after the game, was less emotional about the loss.

“I didn’t get the look I wanted at the end,” he said. “But this is over. Now we move on.”

They move to the Galen Center and USC next Saturday. And now they have a one-game losing streak.

diane.pucin@latimes.com