UCLA men’s basketball leads Coastal Carolina 32-28 at halftime

UCLA men’s basketball started the first half of its game against Coastal Carolina much the same as it did its season opener on Friday: sloppily.

But unlike Friday, the Bruins didn’t turn things around quickly. Instead of a blowout in UCLA’s favor, the Bruins hold just a 32-28 lead at halftime against the Chanticleers.

After settling for perimeter jump shots – UCLA was 2-7 from 3-point range in the first four minutes – the UCLA offense struggled to find a rhythm.

The Bruins shot 35.5 percent from the field in the first half and struggled in transition – the part of their game that ignited their offense Friday – finishing the half with zero fast-break points. Instead, UCLA relied almost solely on its jump shooting, with 14 3-point attempts and just six points in the paint.

UCLA’s main positive, however, was its rebounding. The Bruins out-rebounded the Chanticleers 22-18 and finished the half with six offensive rebounds.

Senior guard Norman Powell and sophomore guard Isaac Hamilton led all scorers with 11 points apiece on a combined 8-16 shooting. The rest of the team shot just 3-15 from the field.

Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.

Published by Matt Joye

Joye is a senior staff Sports writer, currently covering UCLA football, men's basketball and baseball. Previously, Joye served as an assistant Sports editor in the 2014-2015 school year, and as the UCLA softball beat writer for the 2014 season.

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