Perhaps the finest illustration of the kind of afternoon UCLA had on Saturday afternoon against Cal: Middway through the second half, Bears senior guard Jorge Gutierrez missed a shot, backup forward Roberth Thurman grabbed the rebound, missed the ship shot, grabbed the rebound and awkwardly laid the ball in the hoop while drawing a foul and falling to the floor.

The basket capped off a brilliant start for Cal to start the second half and the Bears snapped UCLA's 12-game conference home winning streak with a 73-64 win in front of 9,001 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

When the two teams met on New Year's Eve, Cal sprinted away from the Bruins with a 24-6 run to open the second half and eventually whisked UCLA away with a 16-point victory.

Call this Deja Blue.

After Bruins point guard Jerime Anderson hit a 3-pointer just before halftime to cut the Bears' lead to 32-26, UCLA was feeling pretty good heading into the locker room. Two quick Cal baskets, and the Bruins started to reel. The Bears eventually got off to a 23-13 run to start the second half and kept UCLA at a comfortable distance for much of the duration.

"They just went on that run and it was tough," sophomore forward David Wear said. "At halftime we'd talked about coming out strong and not letting them jump out on us like they did last time."

The only thing time this time around, the Bruins showed a little moxie in clawing their way back. After falling behind by as much as 17 midway through the half, UCLA went on a run to make it a seven-point game with 3:15 left.

But just as the Bruins had to hurry to catch up, it was that speed that cut their comeback short. Anderson had two crucial turnovers down the stretch and Cal responded to every one of UCLA's late charges.

"We had some turnovers at the end and they capitalized on them," senior guard Lazeric Jones said. "That was pretty much it. We got it real close but we have to keep our composure."

The last time the Bears swept the season series with UCLA, Jason Kidd ran the point to near-perfection. Flash forward 18 years, and Jorge Gutierrez and Justin Cobbs are handling the position with efficiency. The two combined for 31 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, with Cobbs leading both teams with 18 points.

Working well off of screens, Cal guards typically found themselves with a little extra cushion, and they made the Bruins pay.

"They were really running the pick-and-roll really well," Jones said. "It seemed like the play they were trying to go to. When you're on a roll like that, momentum is on their side."

While the Bears were dishing and dancing and diving, UCLA failed to register even one assist in the first half. The Bruins shot 34.5 percent in the first half, missing a number of chip shots, and shot 1-for-7 from 3-point range.

"What really hurt us, the first half we had a lot of open jump shots we missed," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. "Easy shots, layups we missed. Both of their big guys were in foul trouble and they were playing with two backups and we couldn't exploit that well enough. We had some open looks on some passes we just missed."

UCLA started off well against Cal on Saturday afternoon at the LA Sports Arena because Joshua Smith started off well. And he didn't even start.

Smith entered the game less than two minutes in and scored two quick baskets as the Bruins controlled the tempo early.

The Bears, though, took hold of the pace and the game and went into halftime up 32-26.

Jorge Gutierrez was Cal's every-man, scoring 10 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing four assists as Cal went on a late 9-4 run before Joshua Smith delivered a massive screen to free Jerime Anderson for a half-ending 3-pointer.

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If Johnny Dawkins would've jammed his fingers any harder, he might've broken them.
By the time the Stanford head coach called a timeout with 12 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first half, his Cardinal were reeling and the UCLA basketball team was scorching.
Sophomore guard Tyler Lamb's 3-pointer gave the Bruins a 10-point lead in the game's first eight minutes and UCLA barely cooled off in the first half.

Stanford, though, benefited from Bruin sloppiness late in the second half to make it a tight game once more, and two teams whose first matchup went to the wire once more battled it out.

The Bruins, though, pulled out their second-straight win with a 72-61 victory over Stanford on Thursday night at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

After falling to the Cardinal in the team's Pac-12 opening matchup on Dec. 29 after senior guard Lazeric Jones' would-be game-winning attempt was blocked by Stanford forward Josh Heustis, UCLA felt like the Cardinal stole one.

"We were upset we got that loss - we fought and stayed in it up there," said Jones, who followed up his 26-point performance in the first matchup with a 21-point, six-assist, six-steal game on Thursday. "But not only did we want this game, the fans were out and supporting us and the fact they packed the house and stayed behind us really kept us going."

If Johnny Dawkins would've jammed his fingers any harder, he might've broken them.

By the time the Stanford head coach called a timeout with 12 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first half, his Cardinal were reeling and the UCLA basketball team was scorching.

Sophomore guard Tyler Lamb's 3-pointer gave the Bruins a 10-point lead in the game's first eight minutes and UCLA barely cooled off, jumping to a 35-27 halftime lead on Thurdsay night at the Los Angeles Sports Arena
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After falling to the Cardinal in the team's Pac-12 opening matchip on Dec. 29 after Lazeric's would-be game-winning attempt was blocked by Josh Huestis, UCLA felt like the Cardinal stole one.

Apparently they tried to steal this one right back.

UCLA had six steals in the game's first nine minutes and Stanford committed 13 turnovers in the first half and shot 32 percent.

UCLA's increased energy on defense might've been a product of necessity as sophomore forward Travis Wear's high ankle sprain limited his minutes and Joshua Smith was plagued by early foul trouble. The Sports Arena burst out in loud boos when Smith picked up his third foul with 6:07 left in the first half, Smith's second offensive foul of the evening.
Thing is, the Bruins might've been better in a constant state of flux.

The very next play, Anthony Stover grabbed a rebound, passed it up to Jones who found a streaking Travis Wear for the dnuk, putting the Bruins back up 12 after the Cardinal cut it to seven with a 10-2 run.

UCLA's sharp defense lasted roughly 19 minutes and 57 seconds, though, as Stanford's Chasson Randle hit a 3-pointer as time ran out to cut the Bruins' halftime lead to 8.

UCLA men's basketball recruit Kyle Anderson and women's basketball recruit Nirra Fields were both named to the McDonald's All-American All-Star Game today. Anderson, top-five prospect, is on the East squad along with Bruin target Tony Parker, while fellow target Shabazz Muhammad is on the West squad.

Check out the teams: Here

Prospects:

Colby Cyburt ; Carl Hulick ; Lacy Westbrook ; Simon Goines ; Alexandru Ceachir

Rankings: 7/10 - UCLA's offensive line class was good, but you have to believe that if Adrian Klemm had a little more time, it could've been great. The talent out west on the offensive line was the best in years, and while the Bruins got a solid haul - and the return of Xavier Su'a-Filo is huge - there were some major prospects who went elsewhere.

Need: 9/10 - Hard not to judge this a 10/10, but the solid depth at center and guard almost outweigh the need at tackle. Three starters are gone in Mike Harris, Kai Maiava and Sean Sheller, but Su'a-Filo's return and Jeff Baca's probable shift back to tackle gives Klemm some options. If Ceachir is advanced enough to step in at right tackle and be better than average in pass protection, allowing Baca to stay inside, UCLA could have its best line in a decade.

Instant Impact: 7/10 (10/10 if you count Su'a-Filo) - For starters, there is none better than Su'a-Filo. If he returns to his freshman year level, it would be sufficient. If he adds to his game, he'll be one of the best tackles in the conference. Ceachir should get a good look at tackle, but the rest of the unit would be wise to redshirt. And that's exactly how you build depth. With Su'a-Filo, Baca, Greg Capella, Chris Ward, Wade Yandall and Jacob Brendel, plus Brett Downey and Connor Bradford, UCLA has enough to let a class with good potential grow into a great one.

Overall Rating: 23-26/30

Heartbreak is not just forgotten in 42 days.

The last time the UCLA basketball team saw Stanford, the Cardinal were erasing a Bruin win with one swipe of the arm, as Josh Huestis blocked a Lazeric Jones jumper with three seconds left to preserve a 60-59 win on Dec. 28.

Unfortunately for UCLA, the conference opener was not a forgettable one.

"We had it at the end and we let it slip," sophomore guard Tyler Lamb said. "It was a good game, both teams played hard - but if we cut down on some of our mental mistakes, it's a different game."

The Bruins (13-10, 6-5) committed 11 turnovers and shot 4-of-15 from 3-point land as they could not capitalize on an even worse performance by the Cardinal (16-7, 6-5), who committed 14 turnovers and shot just 34.5 percent from the field for the game.

"We're not worried about what the games going to be like; we already know what the game is going to be like," sophomore forward David Wear said. "They already know how we're going to play - we got the scouting report on them, they got the scouting report on us - so you basically just have to go out and try to execute a little bit better than you did the game before."

Prospects:

Ian Taubler

Rankings: 7/10 - Taubler was one of Rick Neuheisel's big early gets in the 2012 class and he was coveted by Jim Mora's staff as well. For good reason, as he rates as one of the top tight ends - and in particular, top blocking tight ends - in the country.

Need: 9/10 - For a school that has produced its fair share of impressive tight ends, UCLA is surprisingly thin at the position. Really thin. Joseph Fauria is going into his senior year, and John Young is the only other scholarship tight end on the roster after the dismissal of Raymond Nelson. Walk-ons Jordan Barrett and Luke Gane are both better than your typical walk-ons and could contribute, but getting a tight end was crucial for this class.

Instant Impact: 7/10 - Fauria is one of the top tight ends in the country - rated the No. 1 NFL Draft prospect at the position by CBS Sports - so Taubler should have at least a year to develop. Young has shown promise but has been hampered by injuries, so Taubler's time could come sooner than later.

Overall Rating: 23/30

UCLA new head coach Jim Mora and three of his coaches will head down to Irvine this weekend to speak at the Clinic of Champions this weekend. Mora and assistants Angus McClure, Marques Tuiasosopo and Marcus Patton will head south to talk football along with some other prominent local coaches.

Here's a link to the event: Clinic of Champions

From UCLA:

Sophomore forward Travis Wear (left high ankle sprain) practiced today, but in limited drills, and will be a gametime decision for the Bruins' home game against Stanford (8:07 p.m. tip on Feb. 9 on Prime Ticket).

Prospects:

Jordan Payton ; Javon Williams ; Kenny Walker ; Ahmaad Harris

Rankings: 8/10 - Payton is considered one of the top signing day surprises in the country and his high ratings are no fluke. When he's motivated - something Eric Yarber should be able to handle - he's among the best in the country. Williams is a good prospect with the size of a Nelson Rosario. Walker is a small, shifty wideout, but those are en vogue in the Pac-12 and Noel Mazzone should make good use of him. Harris is a speedster but has little hype.

Need: 10/10 - UCLA's biggest need by a big margin was at wide receiver, and the Bruins added three with the potential for a couple more with a handful of new "athletes." The Bruins return only Shaq Evans, Devin Lucien, Ricky Marvray, Jerry Johnson and Jerry Rice at the position, so getting at least two this year was critical.

Instant Impact: 9/10 - Payton and Williams could both crack the rotation quickly, and Payton - who was verbally committed to three teams, including USC before switching to UCLA - could battle Cal's Bryce Treggs for the conference's most productive freshman wideout.

Overall Rating: 27/30