As fans grew eager to get their Thanksgiving holiday underway
and for the Bruins to get on with their season, UCLA coach Ben
Howland remained intent on staying the course.
Howland called out plays and instructed his players until the
final buzzer, even as Pauley Pavilion emptied during the waning
moments of the Bruins’ game against Western Illinois.
UCLA won its second game of the season 75-60 over Western
Illinois Tuesday night in a game where the fans’ biggest
disappointment was the Leathernecks’ decision to prolong the
action by fouling in the final minutes.
It was a predictably decisive victory for UCLA against a team
that won just three games last year. But for Howland, the
game’s outcome was never taken for granted.
“Every game is a challenge,” Howland said.
“Anybody can beat anybody on any given night. There’s
always that upset. It happens all the time.”
Of UCLA’s first four opponents, Chicago State won the most
games last year ““ 12.
Because of an easy non-conference schedule, these Bruins may be
able to make mistakes without having their record suffer.
The lesson Howland is preaching to his players ““ young and
old ““ is that games like this are the perfect opportunity for
them to learn without paying the harsh consequences.
UCLA (2-0) committed 22 turnovers, most on moving screens,
offensive fouls and transition plays where the ball ended up out of
bounds instead of in the basket. That, Howland said, is a byproduct
of their youth.
“Our whole team is learning to play together,”
Howland said. “There will be plenty of big games ahead.
We’re getting better. We’re growing.”
And Howland will not be content as long as improvement can be
made. In the first half of Tuesday’s game, the most marked
improvement appeared to be in freshman Jordan Farmar’s
game.
The heralded starting point guard, who struggled in the season
opener with eight turnovers, limited that number to two in the
first half, while also picking up 10 points. But he turned the ball
over four times in a sloppier second half and managed only two more
points.
“In the first half, I felt better and more in
control,” Farmar said. “In the second half, we tried to
put them away, and by doing that, I tried to do things that
weren’t there.”
Putting away the Leathernecks (0-2) was a problem for the Bruins
even though the outcome of the game was never in jeopardy. By the
12:50 mark in the first half, UCLA had built a 9-point lead and
were able to keep control throughout. Although Western Illinois
pulled to within four points early in the second half, the Bruins
quickly responded.
Arron Afflalo hit a 3-pointer, sparking a Bruin run that gave
them a comfortable double-digit cushion.
UCLA easily demonstrated it was the better team, shooting 45
percent from the field to the Leathernecks’ 36.4 percent and
outrebounding them by 25.
“I’m really happy about rebounding totals,”
Howland said. “I don’t care who they are. That’s
great.”
Playing solidly throughout the entire game is one example where
room for improvement still lies.
Fortunately for the Bruins, there is still plenty of time to do
so.
With two more games against UC Irvine and Long Beach State still
ahead, Howland will have ample time to continue preaching his
lessons.