The UCLA men’s basketball team has a clear message written on its locker room whiteboard. It was there before Thursday’s game against Pepperdine, and it will be there all year, said junior guard Bryce Alford.
The message doesn’t contain any words, just two numbers: 84-81. That’s the scoreline of the Bruins’ season-opening loss to Monmouth, which surprised just about everyone in Westwood.
“Obviously it woke us up,” Alford said. “It’s a wake-up call for us, and we’ve taken it.”
That 84-81 score will serve as a warning against taking any opponent lightly, no matter if it’s a top-25 team or a mid-major like Monmouth or Pepperdine.
“It’ll stay there all year as a reminder of what that felt like for us,” Alford said. “And so that’s why I told these guys to remember that feeling and make sure that we never feel that again.”
UCLA didn’t feel it at all on Thursday night against Pepperdine (1-2). The Bruins (2-1) never trailed once in the game, and won 81-67 – their first double-digit win all season.
There were some problems with turnovers – 17 of them – and allowing offensive rebounds – 19 of them – but it was by far the Bruins’ best all-around game this season.
“I thought this was really the best game we’ve had to date on contesting shots, and forcing teams into some difficult shots,” said coach Steve Alford. “I thought that was a big key.”
The Bruins’ 67 points allowed marked their best defensive showing of the year. UCLA was particularly sound in its transition defense, which had been one of the main points of emphasis in the past week’s practices.
“We did a lot of defensive transition drills, getting outnumbered in transition and talking, and stuff like that,” Bryce Alford said. “Just the guys coming together and figuring out and communicating.”
In addition, UCLA’s two freshman guards – Aaron Holiday and Prince Ali – started to show increased confidence after an up-and-down first two games. Ali had a season-high 12 points, getting to the foul line seven times in just 12 minutes, and Holiday had a season-high 16 points himself.
“Playing against Bryce, (junior guard) Isaac (Hamilton) and Prince (during practice) just helped me during the games with being more confident and always staying in attack mode,” Holiday said.
Holiday will now have the benefit of practicing for the next three days before the Bruins take the court against the UNLV Rebels in Maui, Hawaii. It’s unknown whether the 84-81 Monmouth score will travel with them, but Bryce Alford won’t let them forget.