Fansided

Lonzo Ball’s NBA-range 3 leads UCLA over Oregon

By Phil Naegely

Feb 4, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) passes UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. UCLA won 107-66. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) passes UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. UCLA won 107-66. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Lonzo Ball didn’t play his best against Oregon, but the UCLA freshman showed up late when it mattered most.

In the second game of ESPN’s college basketball doubleheader Thursday night, the No. 10 UCLA Bruins found a way to win over the No. 5 Oregon Ducks in front of their home crowd.

It wasn’t pretty for UCLA, as its trailed for most of the contest. However, the defense played tough in the second half as the offense started clicking. Lonzo Ball hit a deep ball from way beyond the arc as he gave UCLA the lead for good.

Ball looked somewhat lost in the first half, but scored 15 points overall with nine of them coming from three. In the end his deepest shot of the night was well-timed, as his NBA-range three-point shot was nothing but net. At first his shot looked more like a desperation attempt, but Ball showed he can hit the deep shot without any help from the backboard or rim.

UCLA’s win was a much-needed one for the struggling Bruins side. The 82-79 prevented them from losing their fourth Pac-12 game this season. It was a tale of two halves for the Bruins as they trailed for most of the first half and were down by as many as 19 before taking control towards the end of the game.

Ball came up clutch down the stretch like the leader he is for this Bruins side. The freshman product produced his eighth double-double this season. Yet, it’s only the third time he’s secured double digits in rebounds as he grabbed a season-high 11 boards against Oregon.

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All in all, Ball took the game into his hands and came up successful. This win is a big one for the No. 10 Bruins over the No. 5 Ducks. As long as they don’t falter, they should move up in the top 25 poll. Likewise, they stay competitive in the Pac-12 standings with Thursday’s conference win.