As wild as Saturday afternoon’s come-from-behind win was for the UCLA men’s basketball team, one of the greatest ovations came long before any of the late-game drama unfolded.
While the Pauley Pavilion crowd rose and cheered, Lorenzo Mata-Real was the final player to be introduced as part of Senior Day. The center held back his tears and let out the smile Bruin fans have come to embrace over the past four years.
“I’ve never heard an ovation like that before,” Mata-Real said after the game, while autographing jersey after jersey, ball after ball, program after program and even a shoe.
“I was hoping I wouldn’t get teary-eyed or anything. I almost cried, but I didn’t.”
Senior Day couldn’t have ended on a better note for Mata-Real, after teammate Josh Shipp converted a next-to-impossible off-balance shot with just over a second remaining. It meant Mata-Real could get the only thing he ever cares about come game day: a victory for his team.
“I’m never going to forget this one, especially with a shot like that to end it,” he said.
Over the course of his four-year tenure, Mata-Real has become a fan favorite for his hustle and his persona, and he has also meant a lot to his teammates with his happy-go-lucky attitude.
“If we win, he’s just really happy and you never really see him mad,” sophomore guard Russell Westbrook said. “He’s just a great teammate, and he deserves any recognition he gets here.”
As Mata-Real’s list of accomplishments was read ““ including his fourth-place school ranking in career blocked shots ““ the cheers were loud, but none were louder than when it was announced that he would become the first member of his family to graduate from college. He would also be the first player recruited by coach Ben Howland to graduate, and he is scheduled to do so over the summer.
Fittingly, Mata-Real was accompanied to center court by his mother, Reyna Real, and academic counselor Kenny Donaldson.
“I appreciate all the people who have supported him because all our family is poor, but he can do it with everyone’s help,” a teary-eyed Reyna Real said after the game. “I’m very, very happy and very, very proud of Lorenzo.”
Mata-Real isn’t taking his accomplishment lightly, and he looks to guide his younger family members to ensure that he isn’t the last college graduate of his family, either.
Just as he tries to set an example off the court for his family, he has done the same for his teammates on the court, playing every game as if it were the biggest of the season and never worrying about any numbers other than the ones that matter most.
“I don’t care if I play one minute or 15 minutes,” Mata-Real said. “If we get the win, that’s all that matters to me. I’m not going to complain.”
So on a day when he played just 11 minutes and missed his only field goal attempt, it didn’t come as much of a surprise to see the smile on the senior’s face as he soaked up his final moments in Pauley Pavilion by giving back to those he’ll miss the most after graduation.
“I’m going to miss the fans the most,” Mata-Real said. “I just want to thank everybody for supporting me all the time.”
SENIOR SEND-OFF: Also honored before the game on Senior Day were reserves Joey Ellis, Matt Lee, David McGrath, DeAndre Robinson, managers Iain MacMillan and Pavan Reddy, and student trainer Hany Rayan.