After two straight slow starts in the past week, UCLA came out of the gates sharp and aggressive.
The Bruins jumped out to a 19-5 lead over the Long Beach State 49ers and didn’t look back, finishing with a 56-37 lead in the first half. The UCLA defense held Long Beach State to 40.6 percent shooting while forcing 13 turnovers, including four travel calls.
Freshman guard Lonzo Ball attacked early and often, assisting on the first three Bruin field goals of the night before racing out to a fast-break layup. He finished the half with 14 points, eight assists and another potential SportsCenter Top 10 alley-oop finish that electrified the crowd.
UCLA as a team shared the wealth, handing out 15 assists on 23 field goal makes en route to 63.9 percent shooting.