UCLA trails Arizona 29-23 at the half

If UCLA fans thought the team’s performance in the first half of its matchup with USC on Wednesday in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournamentset offensive basketball back 50 years, they would have thought the Bruins’ erratic first 20 minutes against Arizona on Thursday sent the game back to the ice age.

UCLA could not have been colder.

The Bruins shot 10-for-29 from the field and committed 10 first-half turnovers and they needed a late-half spurt to avoid one of the worst first-halves in conference history, heading into halftime down 29-23.

With Arizona playing pinpoint defense, UCLA managed just six points 10 minutes into the game, but the Wildcats’ poor offense kept the game close. Eventually the Bruins cut it to a one-point Arizona lead, but the Wildcats went on a mini-spurt to push the lead back to six going into the half.

Lazeric Jones, Jerime Anderson, Tyler Lamb and Norman Powell combined for 5-for-14 shooting and six turnovers, but Arizona also got substandard guard play, and only Solomon Hill has really punished the Bruins, scoring 14 first-half points.