UCLA, Oregon State meet in conference play
UCLA (9-9, 2-3) vs. Oregon State (12-6, 2-4)
Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Oregon; Thursday, 11 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Pac-12 foes meet as UCLA battles Oregon State. Both teams last saw action this past weekend. UCLA got past Cal by 10 at home on Sunday, while Oregon State fell to Washington State on the road on Saturday, 89-76.
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: The versatile Tres Tinkle has averaged 19.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and two steals to lead the way for the Beavers. Ethan Thompson has paired with Tinkle and is putting up 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. The Bruins have been led by Chris Smith, who is averaging 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS: The Bruins have allowed just 66.2 points per game to conference opponents so far. That's an improvement from the 69.5 per game they gave up over 12 non-conference games.
CREATING OFFENSE: Thompson has had his hand in 41 percent of all Oregon State field goals over the last five games. The junior guard has 29 field goals and 24 assists in those games.
SLIPPING AT 74: UCLA is 0-9 when it allows at least 74 points and 9-0 when it holds opponents to less than 74.
ASSIST RATIOS: The Beavers have recently created buckets via assists more often than the Bruins. Oregon State has 49 assists on 78 field goals (62.8 percent) over its past three contests while UCLA has assists on 37 of 62 field goals (59.7 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Oregon State has committed a turnover on just 16.2 percent of its possessions this season, which is the second-lowest rate among all Pac-12 teams. The Beavers have turned the ball over only 11.1 times per game this season.
