GAME NOTES: The UCLA Bruins will try to snap a five-game losing streak on Thursday when they host the Stanford Cardinal at Pauley Pavilion for a Pac-12 Conference showdown.

UCLA dropped to 8-7 overall and 0-2 in league play on Sunday when it suffered a disheartening, 71-39 setback at Utah. The contest ended a three-game road swing, which included a 62-56 loss at Colorado in the conference opener for both sides. This will be the first home game for coach Steve Alford's squad since it lost, 87-74, to Gonzaga on Dec. 13. Prior to the Bulldogs' visit, UCLA won every game at Pauley Pavilion this season. UCLA has been decent offensively to rank fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring (71.9 ppg), but it has been atrocious on the defensive end, where it ranks 11th in the league in points allowed per game (70.2).

The Bruins are going to continue to struggle to find success if their star sophomore floor general Bryce Alford doesn't break out of his slump soon. Alford has hit on only 5-of-39 field goal tries, including a 2-of-22 clip from 3-point range over his past three games. The coach's son is still pacing UCLA in scoring (15.7 ppg), while ranking third in the Pac-12 in assists (5.9 apg) and free-throw percentage (.910). Norman Powell is close behind in the scoring column with 15.1 ppg, while freshman Kevon Looney (12.0 ppg, 9.9 rpg) is nearly averaging a double-double. Looney, who was a McDonald's All-American last Spring, ranks second in the conference and 17th nationally in rebounding and is the only freshman in the top 35 on that list. UCLA has another fierce big man in Tony Parker, who has been steady with 9.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per outing.

UCLA is 140-92 versus Stanford dating back to the 1924-25 campaign. The Bruins have won eight of the last 10 meetings, including two of the three encounters during the 2013-14 season. Stanford has lost nine-straight games at UCLA.

Coach Johnny Dawkins watched his Cardinal pick up their fourth win in a row on Sunday as they edged Washington, 68-60, in overtime at home. Stanford began its winning streak with a three-point overtime victory at Texas and downed Washington State (71-56) in its league opener. Stanford lost its other two true road tests at DePaul and BYU. The Cardinal have outscored their opponents by an average of 10.8 ppg, making them one of just four Pac-12 units with a positive, double-digit scoring margin average.

Stanford leaned heavily on Chasson Randle versus Washington and the senior guard came through once again. Randle tallied 24 points, five assists and two steals to spearhead the charge, while Anthony Brown netted 16 points. Senior center Stefan Nastic registered a double-double with 10 points, 11 boards and also recorded four of the Cardinal's 11 steals. Randle leads Stanford with 18.8 points per game, while Nastic (14.2 ppg) and Brown (14.1 ppg) round out the team's list of double figure scorers. All three players have struggled in the past against the Bruins. In six career games versus UCLA, Randle has posted 12.5 ppg on 35.8 percent efficiency from the floor, Brown has scored 8.3 ppg on 34 percent shooting and Nastic has been limited to 4.4 ppg.

Despite the homecourt advantage, UCLA is going to have trouble keeping up with the Cardinal. The Bruins have some talent on their roster, but all of the pieces have not joined together to form a well-rounded team. Alford is an incredible talent when his shot is falling, but Randle is even more dynamic as a scorer. The Bruins will have to dominate on the interior to end their slide.