Ohio State vs. UCLA: Score and Reaction from 2016 CBS Sports Classic

The No. 2 UCLA Bruins remain unbeaten (12-0) after earning an 86-73 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes (8-3) on Saturday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Lonzo Ball scored only eight points, but the freshman guard added nine rebounds, nine assists and three steals to what was a solid all-around performance. The Huffington Post's Jordan Schultz thought the game showcased Ball's versatile skill set:

CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein compared Ball to one of the greatest film series of all time:

Bryce Alford and Aaron Holiday each scored 20 points to lead the Bruins, while Isaac Hamilton chipped in with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Jae'Sean Tate and Marc Loving combined for 34 points for Ohio State, but they received little support from their teammates. JaQuan Lyle, Ohio State's third-leading scorer, shot 1-of-7 from the field and scored eight points, while Kam Williams, the Buckeyes' best three-point threat, was 1-of-6 from beyond the arc.

UCLA was its own worst enemy in the first half. The Bruins made 51.7 percent of their field-goal attempts in the first half and connected on six of their 14 attempts from beyond the arc as well. They also out-rebounded Ohio State 19-12 and grabbed five boards on the offensive glass.

The Marion Star's Rob McCurdy thought the Buckeyes had essentially conceded the rebounding edge:

The Bruins were also suffocating on the defensive end, constantly hounding the ball-handler and chasing after loose balls. CBS Sports CBB shared a replay of Holiday's steal that turned into a Hamilton dunk to put his team up 38-30 with a little over three minutes left in the first half:

Instead of owning a commanding lead at halftime, UCLA was up 40-37, largely a result of the team's 12 turnovers, which equaled its average turnovers per game (11.91) entering Saturday.

The Bruins were a different team to start the second half, going on an 11-3 run to open up an 11-point lead at 51-40.

The Columbus Dispatch's Adam Jardy thought the Buckeyes' struggles from three-point range were becoming a big issue:

CBS Sports' Clark Kellogg and Wally Szczerbiak both praised UCLA's work on the offensive end:

Despite their hot start, the Bruins were unable to gain an unassailable edge on the Buckeyes. With UCLA up 75-67 with five minutes and six seconds left in the second half, Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis thought foul shooting would play a role in the final outcome:

Even as Ohio State's eight-point deficit stood with 3:23 remaining, the Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch wasn't writing the Buckeyes off for good:

Ohio State was unable to string enough defensive stops together to truly mount a comeback. A dunk by Ball with 1:28 left put the Bruins ahead 83-71 and effectively put the game out of reach for the Buckeyes, though.

UCLA will face off with Western Michigan on Dec. 21 before Pac-12 play begins a week later. The Bruins will have a tough test right out of the gate against No. 22 Oregon.

Beating UCLA would be a great way for the Ducks to rebound following an underwhelming start to the 2016-17 season. The Bruins, meanwhile, have an opportunity to gain an early edge on one of their top competitors for the regular-season conference title.

Ohio State has games against Youngstown State and UNC Asheville ahead to right the ship before its first Big Ten clash with Illinois on New Year's Day.

Whether the Buckeyes can contend for a conference title will likely be revealed early on. Over a four-game stretch from Jan. 5 to Jan. 15, they'll play No. 15 Purdue, Michigan State and No. 14 Wisconsin. Ohio State will likely need to take two of those three games to make itself a genuine threat in the Big Ten.   

Postgame Reaction

"I thought for stretches there we did a really, really good job defensively on a great offensive team," said Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta, per Land of 10's Ryan Ginn. "And the thing that they do is if you make a mistake, they’re going to make you pay for it. And we had a couple of mistakes which was probably the difference in the game."

UCLA head coach Steve Alford highlighted the offensive balance his team possesses.

"We've usually got five guys out there who can pass, shoot and dribble it," he said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "That's uncommon. And with the character of these guys, it's the making of a special team."

Holiday's team-high 20 points came from the bench, which gave the Bruins a major advantage. The Buckeyes' trio of Keita Bates-Diop, Trevor Thompson and C.J. Jackson combined for 19 points off the bench.

"I just try to get my mind right on the bench until my name is called," Holiday said. "Honestly, I can see different things the defense aren't doing so I can go out there and help that way."