Eric Dailey Jr. sparks UCLA early, defense stifles reeling Oregon

UCLA wing Eric Dailey Jr. had a quick major response Saturday coming off a scoreless performance earlier this week. All it took was a sleepover in the Mo Ostin Basketball Center practice facility upon returning from Washington.

Dailey scored a season-high 18 points as the Bruins put all five starters in double figures, and UCLA limited Oregon to nearly identical shooting halves in a 74-63 win at Pauley Pavilion.

Dailey estimated that the team flight from Seattle after the win over Washington landed around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, and he spent a little more than hour shooting jump shots at the facility before taking an ice bath and sleeping on a bunkbed. A 9:30 a.m. wake up was followed by another 90 practice time before finishing the day with a 7 p.m. team practice.

UCLA (7-2, 2-0 Big Ten), winners of back to back games, got 14 from Dailey en route to a 13-point halftime lead. The Bruins made 15 of 27 shots, including 6 of 8 on 3-pointers, before cooling off to finish at 43.6% from the field.

Oregon (4-5, 0-2 Big Ten), which lost its fifth consecutive game, was paced by guard Jackson Shelstad‘s game-high 20 points. Center Nate Bittle, who returned after missing the last two games with an injury, was limited to just three points after missing all 10 of his shot attempts.

The Ducks made just 10 of 28 shots in the first half, then converted one fewer basket on the same number of attempts after halftime to finish 33.9% from the field.

UCLA postgame press conference

Hear from head coach Mick Cronin, as well as Dailey, forward Tyler Bilodeau and center Xavier Booker:

Turning point of the game

UCLA made four of its first six 3-point attempts and owned a 22-14 lead midway through the first half.

Oregon was mired in a 1-of-10 shooting slump at one point, and UCLA pushed the advantage up to as many as 18 before taking a 44-31 lead into halftime.

The Bruins maintained a 50-40 lead, but guard Skyy Clark picked up his third foul at the 16:37 mark. The Ducks immediately scored five quick points to cut the deficit in half.

UCLA went 4 1/2 minutes between made baskets until forward Brandon Williams‘ offensive rebound and assist to Booker for a 3-pointer from straightaway extended the lead to 53-45.

Oregon, though, did not go away. A Shelstad driving layup pulled the Ducks within 57-53 before the under-12 media timeout.

UCLA’s defense thwarted Oregon down the stretch. Shelstad tried to push the ball up the floor after a missed basket, but reserve guard Jamar Brown stepped in front for the steal and Bilodeau finished on the other end to make bump the lead back up to 68-59 and force a Ducks timeout with 5:52 remaining.

Leading by seven, a Booker steal in transition later led to his own dunk after Bilodeau found him coming down the lane to make it 70-61 with 3:47 left.

UCLA standout on offense: G/F Eric Dailey Jr.

After failing to make any of his three shot attempts in 16 foul-riddled minutes against the Huskies, it was a quick start for Dailey against the Ducks.

He made all but one of his six shot first-half attempts, including a pair of 3-pointers, in 15 minutes before the break. He finished 6 of 9 from the field.

UCLA standout on defense: F Tyler Bilodeau

Bilodeau had eight rebounds — all on the defensive glass — including five in the first half to help make up for two quick fouls on Booker before the first under-16 media timeout.

Bilodeau displayed tremendous effort, even while crashing to the floor to secure a defensive rebound that got him whistled for a personal foul and had Cronin irate at the call.

Why UCLA won/lost

The Bruins led by 13 at halftime thanks in large part to limiting Bittle, who had just two points and missed all five of his shot attempts. The Ducks had just 18 points in the paint after the Bruins gave up 40 to the Huskies.

UCLA’s outside shooting and an 8-of-8 showing on free throws kept the pressure on Oregon in the first half. The Bruins finished 18 of 21 at the line.

As the Ducks were attempting to come back late, the Bruins’ work on the glass made a difference. UCLA recovered to own a 36-33 rebounding edge, including 15 on the offensive boards. During one late possession, the Bruins grabbed four consecutive offensive rebounds to take more than 40 seconds off the clock.