GAME NOTES: Still in recovery mode after suffering through a five-game losing streak, the UCLA Bruins don't have far to travel as they take on the cross- town rival USC Trojans in a Pac-12 Conference showdown at the Galen Center.

UCLA lost five straight games from Dec. 13 to Jan. 4, which dropped the team from the national rankings. But the Bruins have taken consecutive wins since then, with a double-overtime, 86-81 win over Stanford and a 73-54 victory over California. Although they're just going across town, the Bruins are 0-3 on the road this season.

USC hasn't been so hot lately, with three losses in the team's last four games. The Trojans are coming off a narrow defeat at home against Stanford, where the Cardinal managed to earn a 78-76 decision. The Trojans are 1-3 in Pac-12 play this season, and are 6-3 at home.

These arch rivals have meet 240 times on the basketball court. UCLA holds a 135-105 advantage over the Trojans, and took both contests last season.

UCLA managed to take a five-point lead over California at halftime, and then stretch that lead into 19 points by the time the final buzzer sounded in the Bruins' last outing. Kevon Looney scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead his team, while Norman Powell (14 points), Tony Parker (13 points, eight rebounds), Isaac Hamilton (13 points) and Bryce Alford (11 points, nine assists, six rebounds) all had a hand in defeating the Golden Bears. The Bruins used a 53.3 percent shooting mark in the second half to really run up the team's lead on Sunday.

Offense for UCLA hasn't been very difficult to come by, as five players enter Wednesday's clash averaging scoring totals in double figures for the Bruins, who are netting 72.8 ppg as a unit. Alford leads the charge at 15.4 ppg, also adding in a 5.9 apg mark which is the most on the team and the second-most in the Pac-12. Powell contributes 14.8 ppg, Looney chips in 13.1 ppg with a 10.3 rpg average (ranked second in the conference), Hamilton adds 11.6 ppg and Parker collects 10.6 ppg with 7.4 rpg. Those five players fill the stat sheets every single game, although the drop off between Parker and Thomas Welsh (3.5 ppg, 14.7 minutes per outing) is significant. UCLA's scoring defense (69.9 ppg) ranks second to last in the Pac-12.

USC made a furious run at Stanford in the team's last outing, as the Trojans outscored the Cardinal, 10-1, in the closing minutes to cut Stanford's lead. But the Cardinal held on until the final buzzer, ultimately ending up with a two-point victory. USC had a stellar offensive performance otherwise, making 49.1 percent of its shots from the field in the loss, adding in a 19-of-24 mark from the free-throw line. Julian Jacobs scored 16 points to lead USC, while Jordan McLaughlin added 14 points and Nikola Jovanovic tallied 13 points with five rebounds. Stanford was allowed to shoot 46.2 percent from the floor, and 10-of-25 from 3-point range.

Like UCLA, the Trojans have had some issues with containing opponent scoring this season. USC enters Wednesday's matchup allowing 68.3 ppg to challengers, who are shooting 41.1 percent from the floor. But unlike UCLA, the Trojans don't possess a strong nucleus of scorers to nullify a poor scoring defense. USC is netting 67.8 ppg this season, and is led offensively by McLaughlin's 12.8 ppg and 66 assists. Jovanovic contributes 12.6 ppg to tail McLaughlin, and Katin Reinhardt adds in 10.3 ppg for the Trojans. Jovanovic leads USC in rebounding, pulling down 7.9 boards per outing to beat out Darion Clark (6.8 rpg). USC is one of two teams in the Pac-12 to have a negative scoring margin headed into Wednesday.

Considering both of these teams are based in Los Angeles, there really won't be too much of an advantage for the Trojans at the Galen Center. But in the end, the Bruins possess too much offensive power for the Trojans to handle.