Oregon State
UCLA
Payton II Matches Career High at UCLA
February 12, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Los Angeles – Junior guard Gary Payton II broke the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season and matched his career high but Oregon State's two-game winning streak ended on Thursday with a 75-59 loss at UCLA.
Payton II scored a game-high 24 points and had five rebounds, two assists and two steals but it was not enough as the Bruins earned a split on the season series before a Pauley Pavilion crowd of 6,346. The Beavers (16-8, 7-5 Pac-12) won the first game between the teams, 66-55 at Corvallis on Jan. 22.
Payton also scored 24 against Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 3. He has scored in double figures in 19 of 24 games.
Junior guard Langston Morris-Walker added 19 points on 8 of 16 shooting and had eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Junior forward Jarmal Reid added 10 points but customary offensive contributors Olaf Schaftenaar and Malcolm Duvivier were a combined 0-for-10 from the field and 0-for-7 on 3-point shots.
OSU was an ice-cold 5 of 22 from beyond the arc and 20 of 52 (.320) overall.
“Tonight it was our defensive effort,” OSU coach Wayne Tinkle said in analyzing the reasons for the loss. “I don't know what it is about our focus on the road but I am very disappointed because we didn't show a lot of toughness.
“In the second half we battled back, showed some fight and we can build on that. I'm proud of the guys for their fight in the second half.”
UCLA held a small lead for most of the first half and established its first double-digit advantage, 34-23, with 2:05 left before halftime. The Bruins ended the half on a 10-2 run and took a 40-25 lead into the locker room.
The Bruins then got a 3-point play from Tony Parker to start the second half, stretching the cushion to 18. OSU didn't get closer than 13 thereafter and trailed by 20 at one point. UCLA's 75 points were the most allowed by the Beavers this season.
UCLA outrebounded the Beavers 41-23 and shot 56 percent (10-18) from 3-point range.
The Beavers conclude their Southland road trip on Saturday with a 2 p.m. game at USC that will be televised by Pac-12 Networks. Their next home game is a Feb. 19 matchup with Utah.
