Shipp is sidelined by hamstring injury

UCLA, already minus its air of invincibility thanks to Oregon, also will be without its No. 2 scorer, Josh Shipp, in Saturday’s game against USC.

Coach Ben Howland said Tuesday that an ultrasound test had revealed a small tear in Shipp’s right hamstring and that the sophomore swingman would sit out the morning matchup of Pacific 10 Conference co-leaders at the Galen Center.

“He wants to play, of course,” Howland said, “but I’m very worried about this becoming something that can get worse. Hamstrings are very, very tough injuries because you always run the risk of tearing it worse....

“We have to look at the long term. We have right now in the regular season ... a minimum of 16 games for sure that we’re going to play. I don’t want to see this turn into a thing where he’s going to be out for three weeks, a month, two months.”

Shipp, averaging 14.7 points and 4.1 rebounds, has suffered from cramps all season, Howland said, and the cramping has weakened the muscle.

Shipp, a starter in each of the Bruins’ 15 games after sitting out all but four games last season because of a hip injury, said he felt his hamstring “tighten up” at halftime of UCLA’s 68-66 loss to Oregon on Saturday at Eugene, Ore., a defeat that knocked the Bruins (14-1) from the top of the national rankings.

“I knew something was wrong,” he said, though he continued to play, logging 35 minutes against the Ducks and scoring 14 points.

Afterward, his hamstring was treated for about 40 minutes.

“We don’t want this injury to prolong itself,” he said Tuesday, “so I’m definitely going to have to take the time to let it heal.

“It’s definitely tough. I mean, this is our rival game. I really wanted to give it my all and try to go out there and play, but I just can’t do it.”

Howland said that Michael Roll would replace Shipp in the starting lineup, and that Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Russell Westbrook could expect more playing time in Shipp’s absence.

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Lauding USC’s defense, which has limited opponents to 35% shooting, Howland said, “They’ve done a great job of protecting the paint and really packing things in ... and, bottom line is, making people shoot from the perimeter.” UCLA’s opponents have made 42.8% of their shots.

jerome.crowe@latimes.com