Lonzo Ball Won’t Let UCLA Let Down

According to Yahoo: “A "Trap Game" is a game that is played before or after a tough or rival opponent. Teams have a tendency to look past an opponent preparing for the following week's game, or have a letdown after beating a tough or rival opponent.”

I disagree, to me a trap game is more like Monmouth a couple years back. A team with some talent that is overlooked for some reason (like a mid-major). Oregon State is more of a Jim Healy infamous quote.

We were always going to win this game. But it was not a fun game. It was more of a game, okay when are we going to play hard? Oregon State slowed it down and UCLA had their lowest scoring half of the season in the first half. It was 32-27 and actually Oregon State led for part of the half. The first half, except for Lonzo Ball at the end, was painful.

For those watching on TV it also featured Steve Lavin at his worst. Lavin was an assistant coach on the UCLA 1995 Championship team but yet when citing great brothers to play for UCLA he talked about the Johnson brothers and Bailey brothers, forgetting the O’Bannon brothers who started for that 1995 Championship team.

In the second half, Lavin corrected himself and mentioned the O’Bannon brothers. It was as if someone told Lavin to focus a bit. It was the same for the UCLA team. They came out and played a trapping defense, sped the game up, and scored more points in the first 10 minutes of the second half then they did in the entire first half. The game was over at that point.

Three takeaways.

1. Lonzo Ball scored two of his four dunks to close out the first half for UCLA and put them up 5. With the rest of the team lackadaisical Lonzo took over the scoring oar and was one of only two players in double digits to go along with 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and a block. Lonzo will not let UCLA lose a game like this.

2. Gyorgy Goloman had his best game of the season. He had 7 points (all in the second half), 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. GG was a part of the effort that pulled us away. GG would start for the Beavers.

3. UCLA shot 47% in the first half and 58% in the second. As soon as Oregon State got sped up just a bit, UCLA was off to the races and the game was over. Ten-12 minutes of good offense was enough in this one.

Break the Just SC losing streak! Go Bruins.