By GARY HOROWITZ The Associated Press
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Amari Bailey scored a career-high 24 points and did his best work after halftime to lead No. 7 UCLA to a 62-47 victory over Oregon State on Thursday night.
Bailey, a freshman guard, was 10 for 16 from the field and scored 18 points in the second half as UCLA pulled away.
The Bruins (20-4 overall, 11-2 Pac-12) lead the conference in opponent scoring defense, allowing 59 points per game. The Bruins made things difficult for Oregon State (9-16, 3-11 Pac-12) with their man-to-man defense, allowing their fewest points this season.
Jaylen Clark added 16 points and three steals for the Bruins. Jaime Jaquez Jr., the Bruins’ leading scorer (16.3 ppg), was limited to seven points but had a game-high 12 rebounds.
Jordan Pope led the Beavers with 17 points, and Glenn Taylor Jr. added 10. Oregon State shot 35.7% from the field and committed 18 turnovers.
The Beavers, slowed by 11 turnovers, trailed by 13 points at halftime after hitting just 35% from the field. UCLA closed the first half on a 12-2 run, punctuated by Jaquez’s 3-pointer.
UCLA maintained its slim lead over No. 4 Arizona (21-3, 10-3) in the conference standings.
Clark’s layup on a fast break gave the Bruins a 46-24 with 11:10 remaining, and Oregon State never got closer than 16 points the rest of the way. UCLA’s largest lead in the game was 27 points.
BIG PICTURE
UCLA: The Bruins are projected as a No. 2 seed in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. Defense continues to be UCLA’s strength, along with the solid all-around play of Jaquez, a senior forward, and the emergence of Bailey. The regular-season finale looms big for the Bruins, with Arizona visiting Pauley Pavilion on March 4.
Oregon State: Growing pains continue for the Beavers, who had three freshmen and a sophomore in their starting lineup Thursday. Ten players have started at least one game this season. Despite a losing record, Oregon State is much improved from last season’s 3-28,…
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