On Thursday night, it was Lorenzo Mata’s turn to come out of his shell.
Just one game after teammate Josh Shipp broke out of an offensive slump to score 24 points against Arizona, the starting Bruin center had an emergence of his own.
Mata, who was shooting 34 percent from the free-throw line prior to entering UCLA’s matchup against Cal, shot 8-for-9 from the charity stripe, at one point hitting his ninth consecutive free throw since the trip to the McKale center where he was 2-for-2.
“I think sometimes it’s just kind of like with Josh in the last game the light goes on,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “I expect him to make them like that for the rest of the year.”
And as Howland also pointed out, a majority of the conversions were swishes, and the lone miss trickled around the rim before rolling out, showing his improved accuracy.
Ever since starting the season off in a slump, Mata has worked hard to improve his shot and build confidence in his stroke. To do so, he has been shooting 100 free throws at the end of each practice.
For a while, he would see positive results in practice that he couldn’t seem to get to carry over into game situations, but it appears as though a slight adjustment he has made just recently has found him the ability to convert in both scenarios.
“I’ve been shooting a lot in practice and now it just goes in during the game,” Mata said. “I always knew I could knock down free throws. It was just a matter of confidence.”
If Mata is able to carry on his resurgence from the line, the Bruins believe they will have an even greater threat in tight situations down the stretch of tough games.
No longer will teams be able to force Howland to substitute Mata out on offensive possessions, as he will look to continue to be a threat in the paint.
“That’s definitely a positive thing for us when all five guys on the floor are capable if they’re fouled at any point,” junior Arron Afflalo said.
Mata has also been able to successfully score inside the post and is becoming another weapon on the offensive end for the Bruins, while always remaining one on the defensive end with his ability to redirect and change shots.
The junior big man has now gone three consecutive games with double-digit scoring totals, including a career-high of 14 on Thursday.
“It gives us a post-presence in there when he’s scoring and making foul shots,” Howland said. “It’s big for us.”
With the way he’s been shooting from the line and from the field, Mata has gained the one thing he appeared to lack earlier in the season: confidence in his ability to score.
He also warned that he’s made the last necessary adjustment and is now ready to step up to the line if teams still feel otherwise.
“Now I’m making them so don’t foul me anymore,” Mata joked. “I’m only going to miss one out of every nine.”
40TH ANNIVERSARY: The 40th anniversary of the 1967 NCAA Championship team will be celebrated this Saturday at the final home game of the season. The team will be recognized by UCLA with both a pre-game reception and halftime honors.
A significant majority of the team is expected to be at Pauley Pavilion for the event, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar will also be at Ackerman Union before the game signing copies of his new book, “On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance.”
He will be signing from 1 to 2:30 p.m., and will be alongside John Wooden. Both will be exclusively signing books purchased at the Ackerman Union Bookstore.