BERKELEY, Calif. — After struggling with lagging first-half energy in recent games, UCLA men’s basketball turned things around Wednesday night at Cal, jumping out to a fast start, both in scoring and tempo. Pushing the ball in transition, the Bruins opened the game with a 14-5 run and didn’t let up, leading the Golden Bears 44-32 at the break.
UCLA’s initial run was powered by sophomore guard Jordan Adams, who raced down the court for seven points in that opening stretch. Adams finished the half with 12 points on 5-9 shooting, four rebounds and three assists.
The Bruins earned a 10-point lead after a fast-break dunk by sophomore forward/center Tony Parker with just over seven minutes to go, which left the rim rattling and the Haas Pavilion crowd livid at the lack of a foul call on the other end of the court.
Aided by Cal’s frequent fouling, UCLA maintained that 10-point separation for much of the first half. The Golden Bears finished the half having committed nine fouls, giving the Bruins nine free-throw attempts.
Cal’s freshman guard Jabari Bird reprised his role as a UCLA headache. After scoring 12 points in his last game against UCLA, then totaling 12 points in next five games, Bird led the Golden Bears with nine first-half points.
Bird’s breakout performance covered up a quiet first half from Cal’s leading scorer, senior guard Justin Cobbs. Cobbs was limited to just five points on 1-4 shooting.
Sophomore guard/forward Kyle Anderson continued to fill the stat sheet for UCLA, tallying just four points, but adding five rebounds and five assists.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.