His team needing a slight nudge in spirit and a go-to outlet on
offense, Arron Afflalo provided both Tuesday night. The Bruin
sophomore used the first game of the season to record the
best-scoring game of his career, wasting no time in establishing a
new career high, with a 23-point performance in UCLA’s 83-70
victory over New Mexico State at Pauley Pavilion. “I
wasn’t really shooting for that tonight,” said Afflalo,
who also finished with six rebounds and three assists in 36
minutes. “But I know this is going to be a different type of
season than last year. I know I’m going to get some career
marks scoring-wise.” With last year’s main offensive
weapon in Dijon Thompson having departed for the NBA, Afflalo may
very well be correct. In the first half of Tuesday’s game it
was apparent the Bruins were struggling to generate a rhythm on
offense in Thompson’s absence. But Afflalo shook off a slow
shooting start by racing past the Aggies’ snail-paced
transition defense to give the Bruins an early lead. An offensive
downpour followed. Afflalo scored 16 of his 23 points in the first
half and finished with career highs in both field goal makes (8)
and attempts (14). He did it in transition, breaking away for
multiple layups. He did it behind the arc, making half of his
3-pointers. And he did it at the line, where he was a perfect
5-for-5. “(Dijon) was a senior and our leader last season,
and a lot of plays were run for him,” Afflalo said.
“Now there are plays run for me. I know coach is looking for
me to score more this year.” And Tuesday night, he provided
the Bruins with exactly what they were looking for, even if he was
slightly winded by game’s end. “But don’t tell
coach that,” Afflalo said. “As soon as I get my wind
up, I’ll play both halves aggressively, like I played in the
first half.”
NOT REDSHIRTING: UCLA men’s basketball
coach Ben Howland quickly put to rest rumors that freshman power
forward Ryan Wright would be redshirting this season.
“He’s not going to redshirt,” he said. From
Ontario, Canada, the 6-foot-8 Wright was pegged as the
Bruins’ top recruit this year by multiple recruiting
agencies. He did not see the court in Tuesday night’s season
opener.
FEY RETURNS: Senior center Michael Fey, who
missed the Bruins’ two exhibition games while nursing a
severe groin strain for nearly five weeks, saw his first game
action of the year Tuesday night. Limited by doctors to playing no
more than 10 minutes a half, Fey finished the game with seven
points in 17 minutes only three days after returning to contact
drills. “I think Mike did an outstanding job,” Howland
said.
DRIBBLERS: Aggie Elijah Ingram led New Mexico
State with 24 points Tuesday night. The redshirt junior also
torched the Bruins for 21 points as a member of St. John’s in
2004 in a 71-55 UCLA loss. “I had visions of him beating us
in the Garden again,” Howland said. … In the final minute
of regulation, the Aggies intentionally fouled the Bruins twice,
despite the insistence of their coaches to let the clock run out.
… Bruin freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute led the Bruins with
eight rebounds. … Thursday’s second-round NIT Season
Tip-Off game between UCLA and Temple will tip off at 8 p.m. in
Pauley Pavilion. The winner will advance to the tournament’s
final four at Madison Square Garden in New York.