In UCLA’s first three games this season, winning
hasn’t been an issue. Doing it comfortably has been.
Saturday’s 76-65 win over UC Irvine followed a pattern
where the Bruins jumped out to an early lead, but showed a penchant
for letting it evaporate.
“We’ve had chances to put teams away the first
couple of games, but we haven’t done it,” junior
Michael Fey said. “I think it will come with time, but
we’ve got to learn to play all 40 minutes, and not let teams
back in the game when we get a lead.”
That’s to be expected for a young team like the Bruins,
who are integrating four freshmen into their rotation this season.
UCLA, off to its first 3-0 start since the 1999-2000 season, has
played well in spurts so far, but has been unable to slam the door
on its opponents.
Chicago State and Western Illinois each trimmed 15- and 18-point
second-half deficits to single digits last week against the Bruins,
and UCI also created a few tense moments for the 6,247 fans at
Pauley Pavilion on Saturday. The Anteaters (1-2) carved into
UCLA’s 12-point halftime lead, pulling within three points
twice in the final eight minutes before the Bruins mustered one
final surge.
“That ability to finish games will come with
experience,” freshman point guard Jordan Farmar said.
“We need to get some continuity in our motion offense, get
everybody to move without the ball, and create some driving angles
so we can get easier shots down the stretch.”
Part of the trouble for the Bruins against UCI was a departure
from what was effective for them in the first half. Fey, who scored
a team-high 11 points before halftime and was crucial to UCLA
building its lead, rarely touched the ball around the basket after
the break.
The 7-footer finished with 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting, but
was not a factor on offense late in the game as the Bruins
repeatedly settled for contested jump shots.
“We’ve got to get Mike more touches,” Howland
said. “He didn’t have enough touches in the second
half. Our offense got stagnant at times, to where we were making
one-on-one moves rather than playing in a team-sphere like I
want.”
Besides UCLA’s inability to take advantage of its
opportunities in the paint, Howland pointed to offensive rebounding
and dribble penetration as two areas that helped the Anteaters keep
it close.
UCI, which does not have a starter taller than 6-foot-8,
out-rebounded the Bruins 38-34, pulling down 15 offensive boards
and converting several of them into second-chance points.
The Anteater backcourt scorched the Bruins off the dribble in
the second half, exposing what appears to be a weakness for UCLA.
Point guard Aaron Fitzgerald led the way for UCI, finishing with a
team-high 17 points.
“That’s something we’re going to see all year
long,” Howland said. “And we’ve got to get better
at it.”
But those deficiencies were not enough to put a damper on the
victory for the Bruins, who never let the Anteaters wrest control
of the game away from them.
Even after UCI closed to within 56-53 with 6:49 left in the
second half, UCLA responded with a game-clinching 8-0 spurt.
Senior Dijon Thompson hit a wide-open 3-pointer from the left
corner to start the run, and senior Brian Morrison followed that up
with another one as the shot clock expired on the ensuing
possession. Farmar finished it off seconds later, converting a
layup off an Arron Afflalo steal to give UCLA a 64-53 lead.
Afflalo, Thompson and Farmar each led the way with 14 points for
the Bruins, who had at least four players in double figures for the
third consecutive game.
UCLA can begin a season 4-0 for the first time since its 1994-95
national championship season with a win Tuesday over Long Beach
State.
Though the competition hasn’t been all that impressive so
far ““ none of the team’s first four opponents had a
winning record last season ““ the Bruins are pleased with how
they are progressing.
“This year I think we’re going to wind up doing
good,” Fey said. “I feel like our chemistry is better.
We know the coaches better. This year as a whole, everything is
better.”