With its offense sputtering for much of the first half, UCLA’s defense rose to the occasion against Long Beach State.
The Bruins forced 10 turnovers and continually made the 49ers settle for deep outside shots in building a 42-31 halftime lead.
Senior guard Norman Powell leads all scorers with 13 points, while sophomore guard Bryce Alford chipped in with eight points to go with six assists.
UCLA and LBSU traded shots back and the forth for much much of the first half, with neither squad finding much breathing room early on as the two exchanged leads six times.
The Bruins’ offense struggled to find its rhythm early, at one point missing seven straight shots before sophomore guard/forward Noah Allen connected on a three-pointer. LBSU took advantage of UCLA’s cold spell, converting a 13-8 deficit into a 19-13 lead with less than 11 minutes to go in the first half.
With the Bruins’ offense struggling, UCLA turned to its defense for a spark. They got one.
UCLA’s length repeatedly frustrated LBSU – who shot just 38.1 percent and four of 10 from deep – as the 49ers at one point turned the ball over five times in as many minutes. Five different Bruins had a steal in the first period.
The strong defensive effort spurred a 29-12 run to close out the half as the Bruins offense came alive, hitting five of seven from deep to close out the half.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.