Last weekend, it was the second-half turnovers. On Saturday, it was the first-half miscues that killed UCLA.
The Bruins (7-3) committed 15 turnovers in the first half against the No. 25 Bearcats, losing 77-63 in a nationally televised contest at Pauley Paviion that was one of UCLA’s last chances to get a marquee nonconference win.
“Obviously a really good basketball team, grown men,” head coach Steve Alford said of Cincinnati. “We’ve got some young guys that I think will really grow from this and learn from this. … If we could take back the second half of Michigan and the first half here against Cincinnati just in the area of turnovers, I think we’d be sitting in a different position.”
There are no take-backs though and the Bruins have only one more opportunity for a big win (Dec. 23 against Kentucky) before starting conference play.
Links to wrap up the game:
- Turnovers plague the Bruins (again) + photo gallery
- From columnist Mark Whicker: UCLA’s under-manned team has big questions
- Video interviews