This young man continues to be not only the spark but also the fire that keeps on burning for this Oregon team. Pritchard had a sensational 38 points in an overtime win against a 24th ranked Arizona squad. The 6’2 senior added six rebounds, four assists, and a steal. He had another very strong game February 27th in a win over Oregon State. He had 23 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor and over 55 percent from deep as well as three assists and two steals. If Pritchard can continue to play at this level, it is likely that Oregon will likely get hot and remain hot at the perfect time, heading into March Madness very soon.
UCLA Bruins
Don’t look now but the UCLA Bruins have snuck all the way to the top of the Pac-12 after winning six games in a row. The Bruins won by seven over an 18th ranked Colorado team. UCLA had four of its players score in double figures with
Cody Riley leading the way with 16. The difference in the game was the Bruins shooting 40 percent from beyond the 3-point line where they held the Buffaloes to just 26 percent from deep.
The next game was even more of a nail biter for UCLA fans which was a three point victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils. This time it was
Jake Kyman who led the way for the Bruins with 21 points off the bench on 8/13 shooting from the floor. Will UCLA keep this hot streak going? If they do, it is coming at a perfect time.
Washington State Cougars and Oregon State Beavers
Each of these programs have lost their last four consecutive games. Despite a 22 point triple double performance by
CJ Elleby the Cougars still got beaten badly by Stanford. Stanford shot 55 percent from the field while the Cougars couldn’t buy a bucket, shooting just 31 percent from the field.
As for Oregon State, there was nothing they could do to stop
Payton Pritchard from getting to where he wanted on the offensive end. The beavers played five guys who all combined for a whopping zero points. You will never beat a team like Oregon unless all of the role players and bench unit can step up and provide some support on both ends. Which one of these teams will snap their losing streak first? Or is it over for the Cougars and Beavers in the Pac-12?
Top 5 Scoring Performances in the Pac-12 other than Payton Pritchard
Stanford needed every bit of the performance that the 6’1 freshman gave them in a win over the Utah Utes. Terry had 27 points on 57 percent shooting from the floor and 63 percent from downtown. It should be mentioned he recorded three steals as well so he’s working on both ends. Terry is the type of playmaker and scorer who can have a huge impact on games not just offensively but defensively as well.
The 6’4 sophomore is typically the guy that steps up the most for UCLA. He had a huge game against a 21st ranked Buffaloe team. He had 26 points on 57 percent shooting from the field 71 percent from beyond the arc. He also added six rebounds and a steal. Bradley is averaging just under 18 points per game but if he keeps having games like these, he can become a top scorer in all of the Pac-12 being able to score from anywhere on the floor.
The junior who averages 19.5 points per game put up 30 in a heartbreaking loss on the road against UCLA. Martin also had four steals in the game. This loss is clearly not on Martin as he had a phenomenal performance. If his teammates could collectively step it up and help him out in a game like this one, it will result in W’s and not heartbreaking losses.
Mr. Allen had a strong double double performance in a win over USC. The 6’6 sophomore scored 21 points on 53 percent shooting and added 10 rebounds, three assists and a steal. Utah does not have a good conference record at 6-10 but that does not mean it is Allen’s fault. If Allen could become a better outside shooter, he could become one of the most feared offensive threats in the Pac-12.
The 6’6 freshman for the Bruins has shown he is able to get hot from beyond the 3-point line. He put up 21 points in just 28 minutes shooting 5/8 from deep. He also pulled down six rebounds and blocked a shot. While shooting just a hair under 40 percent from beyond the arc in his freshman season, this young man is poised to become a top sharp-shooter in the Pac-12.
