A legend player Applauds Two Bruins Stars for Their Effort Against Oregon State.
Following a decisive victory over Oregon State last night, the UCLA Bruins ended a four-game losing streak. The starting lineup collaborated both offensively and defensively to get conference play off to a strong start, as evidenced by the final score of 69-62. Two of the Bruins on the starting roster seem to have taken coach Mick Cronin’s weeks-long sermons about confidence and toughness to heart.
Adem Bona and Will McClendon were those players. In addition to praising both of the young players, Coach Cronin clarified that Bona ought to be leading the team and grabbing the ball whenever possible. “It was excellent from Will [McClendon]—six rebounds, ten points, and three assists. It’s just Adem [Bona] at work. I believe we simply need to keep passing the ball to him. Although he made a few mistakes tonight, he is still our most seasoned player who gets playing time. We must continue to get the ball to him because it strains your defense. We continue to help him improve as a passer, work on his offensive, and generally help him develop.
Posting 6 rebounds, 10 points, and three assists is a sure-fire way to hype up the team. Bona also had his own stellar night with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. He was all over the court, which is a big reason why Coach Cronin stated that the team needed to get him the ball.
During conference play, Bona displayed the kind of tenacity and leadership that can propel this team to significant victories. The Bruins demonstrated the talent that everyone knew the team would possess, even after their previous four losses. We’ll have to wait and see how they perform in their upcoming match against Oregon, but if Bona and McClendon perform well once more, they will be difficult to defeat.
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The UCLA women’s basketball team, who are undefeated (11-0), will take on their crosstown rival, the USC Trojans, who are undefeated (10-0) in front of a sellout home crowd at Pauley Pavilion this evening.
At 5:00 p.m., the action begins. For those of us who were not fortunate enough to obtain tickets, Pac-12 Networks will broadcast the excitement. The broadcast commentary will be handled by Anne Marie Anderson and Mary Murphy. The Trojans trail the Bruins 56–50 all-time. In their most recent meeting, which took place on January 8th, UCLA prevailed 61-60.
In the latest Associated Press poll, the deeper UCLA team, which is ranked as the nation’s second-best team, is thought to be marginally superior to the more accomplished USC team, which is ranked as the nation’s sixth-best team. 6’2″ first-year student The Trojan Wing Though the Bruins likely have a few more WNBA-caliber players, JuJu Watkins is perhaps the most highly regarded prospect of the group (forward/center Rayah Marshall and former Harvard transfer McKenzie Forbes are no slouches, either). able to handle a 6’7” Bruins center? The nation’s most productive scorer, Lauren Betts, in the paint
It’s going to be close, but I think the Bruins will win at home and maintain their perfect record. UCLA, let’s say 65-60.
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