UCLA Basketball: 3 takeaways from overtime win at Arizona State

2. Careless play nearly doomed the Bruins – and they will have to clean it up ahead of Saturday

Turnovers have hardly been an issue for UCLA all season – they ranked 43rd in turnover percentage entering this game, after all, handing the ball over on just 16.2% of their possessions.  They average just 10.8 turnovers a game, among the best in college basketball – and their season-high was 15, twice – against San Diego State and Seattle.

But the Bruins were uncharacteristically sloppy against Arizona State on Saturday, recording a new season-high with 18 turnovers.  That number means the Bruins turned the ball over on 22.5% of their possessions – compared to 11 (13.8%) for Arizona State.  In all, UCLA committed seven in the opening stanza, 11 in the second stanza, and none in overtime.

For context, just one player on Arizona State’s roster – Josh Christopher – recorded three or more turnovers, and he had four.  For UCLA, however, at least four Bruins tallied three or more – Tyger Campbell, Cody Riley, Jules Bernard, and Jalen Hill.  In all, seven different UCLA players turned the ball over.

Of those 18 turnovers, 10 were steals – and the Sun Devils, subsequently, maintained a 16-8 edge in points off turnovers – and the Bruins are lucky that that deficit was not any larger, particularly considering the Sun Devils force turnovers on 23% of their opponents’ possessions.

That statistic makes UCLA’s performance a little more understandable – but this was, again, an undermanned Arizona State squad missing, arguably, its most talented player.  Additionally, this was the Sun Devils’ first game since December 16th.  It was not the most ideal showing from the Bruins – and it is something they will have to clean up ahead of Saturday’s showdown at Arizona, and especially before they move forward into Pac-12 play.