UCLA leads USC 56-34 at halftime
By Sari Zureiqat
Jan. 5, 2014 1:36 p.m.
Heading into Saturday’s Pac-12 opener, UCLA had a major concern against a USC team that features three players 6-foot-10 or taller – rebounding.
The Trojans won the tip, but their height has proved of little advantage as UCLA leads 56-34 at the break.
The Bruins jumped out to an 11-2 run before five straight points by senior guard J.T. Terrell and senior center D.J. Haley cut the UCLA lead to eight. Freshman guard Zach LaVine made a jumper and sank two free throws to help the Bruins to an 8-0 counter that ended with 8:21 to play.
Building off a 2-for-4 three-point performance against Alabama, sophomore guard Jordan Adams was once again effective from long range. He nailed three of his five shots from beyond the arc and had 13 points.
The Bruins’ hottest shooter of the half, however, was sophomore guard/forward Kyle Anderson, whose mid-range jump shot was as consistent as it was deadly. The sophomore missed just one of his seven shots en route to 14 points, and added six rebounds and five assists. Freshman guard Bryce Alford chipped in 15 points of his own.
USC senior center Omar Oraby went down with 17:51 remaining in the half and grabbed just below his right calf, needing help from teammates to exit the court. He returned just over four minutes later and added two points on the half.
The Trojans’ leading scorer at the half is Terrell, who has 12 points.
Compiled by Andrew Erickson, Bruin Sports senior staff.
