GAME NOTES: The UCLA Bruins shoot for back-to-back wins for the first time in a month, as they host the California Golden Bears in Pac-12 Conference action at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday.

The Bruins had won four in a row between the end of November and Dec. 10, but then the squad was saddled with five straight defeats, two of those coming against league foes in Colorado and Utah to kick off the new calendar year. Thursday night saw the team pushed to double-overtime against Stanford, but luckily UCLA came out on top in an 86-81 final.

Like UCLA, California is also off to a 1-2 start in conference play. Having recently completed a lengthy seven-game homestand, which included a conference-opening victory over 21st-ranked Washington on Dec. 2, the Bears find themselves with a two-game losing streak after bowing to Washington State by a mere three points last weekend, 69-66, and then being upended up USC on the road four nights ago, 71-57.

UCLA leads the all-time series by a 135-101 margin after winning both meetings last season. The Bruins are 70-48 versus California in games played in Los Angeles.

Tyrone Wallace scored a game-high 21 points on Wednesday night, yet that still was not enough to take down the Trojans on the road at the Galen Center. Wallace connected on 9-of-21 shots from the floor, but just 1-of-5 behind the 3-point line where the team as a whole was just 4-of-20 during the losing effort. Jordan Mathews produced another 17 points for a squad that shot only 35.4 percent from the floor and failed to capitalize as USC converted a mere 2-of-15 beyond the arc.

Mathews may lead the Bears in scoring when it comes to facing conference foes, putting up 24.0 ppg, but on a more consistent basis the top scoring threat for California is Wallace with his 19.1 ppg. But more than just a scorer, Wallace is one of a very rare breed these days that is also leading his unit in rebounding (8.4 rpg), assists (65) and steals (24). However, there has been one drawback to his being on the floor and that is his 61.7 percent shooting at the free-throw line. Mathews (14.9 ppg) has a better handle at the charity stripe, making close to 80 percent of his opportunities, but the team as a whole still struggles at just 65.2 percent.

After trailing by five at the break against Stanford, UCLA managed to push the meeting to not just one overtime period but two, eventually capturing the five-point win at home on Thursday night. leading the charge for the Bruins was Kevon Looney who put together a massive double-double with 27 points and a game-high 19 rebounds, while Tony Parker also delivered a double-double with 22 points and 12 more boards. Bryce Alford pitched in with 15 points before fouling out, Norman Powell 12 points and Isaac Hamilton 10.

Bryce Alford, the son of head coach Steve Alford, controls the offense for the Bruins not only with his 15.6 ppg, but also 92 assists through 16 outings. However, while the guard does produce on a regular basis at the free-throw line, hitting 91.3 percent of his chances, converting only 38.2 percent from the floor is less than expected. Powell (14.9 ppg), Looney (12.9 ppg), Hamilton (11.6 ppg) and Parker (10.4 ppg) all play key roles for the UCLA offense, particularly when you consider no one else is even averaging four points per game off the bench.

Coming off an overtime affair that pushed them to the limit, the Bruins may not be at the top of their game this weekend. It also doesn't help that they are barely getting any production from the reserves, something that could certainly jeopardize their chances of picking up a home win on Sunday.