Heading into Sunday’s matchup with Arizona State, UCLA coach Steve Alford talked about the need for his team to come out sharp and prevent a hangover from an emotional four-point loss to No. 1 Arizona on Thursday.
After a quick 12-6 run for the Sun Devils to open the game and seven points from senior guard Jermaine Marshall, the Bruins did just that, attacking ASU with speed and improved accuracy from beyond the arc on their way to a 50-33 halftime lead.
Alford subbed in freshman guards Zach LaVine and Bryce Alford as well as sophomore forward/center Tony Parker with 15:04 left to play, and the Bruins took off, leading by as many as 20 points through the half.
LaVine took eight shots from the field in the first half, and all but an easy layup and a short baseline jumper fell. The freshman sank all of his three-point attempts and leads all scorers with 15 at the break. Capitalizing on his trips to the free throw line, sophomore guard/forward Kyle Anderson had nine points, as well as eight rebounds and three assists.
ASU point guard Jahii Carson, who came into the game boasting the Pac-12’s fifth-best scoring average, was held to just five points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Compiled by Andrew Erickson, Bruin Sports senior staff.