Battle 4 Atlantis brawl pits Bruins against Sooners

Nov 26, 2014 - 4:30 PM Nassau, Bahamas (SportsNetwork.com) - The 22nd-ranked UCLA Bruins put their undefeated record on the line, as they tangle with the Oklahoma Sooners in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday afternoon.

UCLA is playing its first game away from home after posting four straight double-digit victories against clearly inferior foes. First, it was a 113-78 triumph over Montana State, followed by an 84-71 decision versus Coastal Carolina, a 107-74 verdict against Nicholls State and a 77-63 win over Long Beach State.

Oklahoma opened the season with a 78-53 rout of visiting Southeastern Louisiana. Unfortunately, the Sooners stumbled the next time out, dropping a 65-63 decision at Creighton. OU rebounded to whip Northwestern State, 90-68, setting up this showdown with the Bruins.

UCLA leads the all-time series with Oklahoma, 3-0, and this is the first meeting between the two since 1975. Both teams will be back in action on Thanksgiving to face either Butler or North Carolina, depending on the outcomes of Wednesday's games.

All five starters for UCLA are averaging double figures in the scoring column, which has resulted in the team putting up a robust 95.2 ppg. Norman Powell and Bryce Alford are both netting at least 20 ppg for a team that is shooting 49.4 percent from the field, which includes a 42.4 percent showing from 3-point range. Kevon Looney is averaging a double-double with his 14.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, while Alford is close to joining him as he dishes out a whopping 9.8 apg. The Bruins' defensive effort yields 71.5 ppg, and the team is +8.3 in rebounding and +6.2 in turnover margin.

Powell drained four 3-pointers en route to a game-high 24 points, as UCLA topped Long Beach State this past Sunday. Alford added 17 points and seven helpers, while Isaac Hamilton chipped in with 12 points. Both Looney and Tony Parker finished with 10, with the former also clearing 11 boards. The Bruins committed only five turnovers in the game.

Oklahoma has its own 20-point scorer in Buddy Hield (20.7 ppg), and he adds 7.0 rpg to his impressive stat line. Only two other players average in double figures, and the team as a whole is netting 77 ppg while permitting 62 ppg. The Sooners also own favorable margins in both rebounding (+6.3) and turnovers (+1.3), while shooting 40.9 percent from long range and allowing the opposition just a 23.4 percent success rate from distance.

Isaiah Cousins was high man for OU in its recent win over Northwestern State, as he tallied 20 points thanks to a 4-of-5 effort from beyond the arc. Hield tacked on 16 points and three others finished 13 points apiece. Overall, the Sooners made good on 50 percent of their field goal attempts, while draining 10 treys. Conversely, the Demons shot just 35.6 percent from the floor, which included a dreadful 22.6 percent performance from downtown (7-of-31). About the only negative for Oklahoma was the fact that it was guilty of 20 turnovers, six of which were credited to Jordan Woodward.