UCLA bounces back from first loss with 76-63 victory over Oregon State

Reporting from Corvallis, Ore. â€”  Lonzo Ball had 23 points, including four three-pointers, and No. 2 UCLA rebounded from a loss to Oregon with a 76-63 victory over Oregon State on Friday night.

TJ Leaf added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Aaron Holiday had 14 points for the Bruins (14-2, 1-1 Pac-12), who led by as many as 14 points.

“The loss was in the past, it’s not going to make or break the season,� Ball said afterward. “You’ve just got to shake it off and move forward.�

Stephen Thompson Jr. had 25 points for the Beavers (4-11, 0-2).

Trailing, 34-26, at halftime, the Beavers pulled into a tie at 38 on Thompson’s three-pointer.

While the Bruins never surrendered the lead, Oregon State kept it close, pulling within 44-43 on Kendal Manuel’s three-pointer with 12:52 left.

Ball and Holiday hit consecutive three-pointers to give UCLA a 53-45 lead midway through the half. Ball made another three to extend the lead to 64-50 with 6:12 left and Oregon State could no longer keep up.

The Bruins were undefeated until Wednesday, when they fell, 89-87, to No. 21 Oregon.

“The last two days we just talked about growing and trusting each other defensively,� UCLA Coach Steve Alford said. “We’ve got a lot of trust on the offensive end, so it’s about growing and developing that trust defensively, and I thought we took a good positive stride there tonight.�