UCLA beats CSU Northridge in season opener 83-50

UCLA center Joshua Smith (34) drives on Cal State Northridge forward Thomas Jacobs (12) for a basket during the first half.GUS RUELAS, AP





UCLA looks solid in season-opening victory
By ADAM MAYA
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Nov. 12, 2010
Updated: 11:05 p.m.


LOS ANGELES – Before it took the floor in Friday night's opener, UCLA openly welcomed talk of winning the Pac-10 title. The Bruins entertained the same conversation a year ago as well, only it was over by December.

The Bruins walked the talk this time, dismantling Cal State Northridge in an 83-50 victory at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA's run-and-shoot offense was on full display. The Bruins scored the game's first 11 points in about three minutes. A few minutes later they scored seven points in a 98-second span, then seven more in 74 seconds.

"We have a lot better chemistry," forward Reeves Nelson said. "Everyone keeps talking about it but it's true. Everyone knows it's all business this year. It was important (to win big). We just want to set the tone for what's going to happen this year."

UCLA guard Tyler Lamb (1) gets by Cal State Northridge guard Joshua Greene, left, for a basket on a fast break during the first half. GUS RUELAS, AP





On one possession midway though the second half, Matadors guard Joshua Green turned a steal into a coast-to-coast layup. Before Northridge could exhale UCLA forward Tyler Honeycutt was finishing off a Jerime Anderson outlet pass with a dunk. Even when the Bruins stumbled, they never stopped.

All nine players in the Bruins' rotation made significant contributions. Nelson had a team-high 17 points and made all six of his field goal attempts. Honeycutt had 16 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Lazeric Jones, a JC transfer from Illinois, got the starting nod at point guard and made a great first impression. He shot 6 of 7 for 15 points and had four assists.

"I was trying to be aggressive," Jones said. "I feel like that's when I'm more effective."
Most of the other UCLA faces remain the same, but in no way did this game resemble last year's season opener. The Bruins lost that one to Cal State Fullerton, also a Big West school. It was a foreboding sign as UCLA would go on to lose seven of its first 10 games and finish 14-18, missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003-04, Coach Ben Howland's first season.

The lone negative for the Bruins on Friday was 22 turnovers, clearly a byproduct of their offensive tempo. But UCLA's pace seemed to entice sloppy play from Northridge, which had 27 turnovers. The Bruins, which openly criticized their defense in the preseason, had 17 steals and 12 blocks while holding the Matadors to 29 percent shooting. They also took four charges.
Forward Anthony Stover led UCLA with four blocks and forward Brendan Lane had a game-high eight rebounds off the bench. Highly-touted center Joshua Smith had nine points and seven rebounds in his debut.

UCLA guard Malcolm Lee (3) shoots over Cal State Northridge forward John Hayward-Mayhew (43) for a basket during the first half. GUS RUELAS, AP




"Our talent level, attitude, unity, it's going to bode well for us this year," Howland said. "I was really pleased with how we played, especially with how we came out. The guys were really focused."

Guard Rashaun McLemore was the Matadors' leading scorer with 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
The Bruins led 46-24 at the half after shooting 18 of 25 (72 percent) from the field. UCLA's first-half lead peaked at 37-9, its up-tempo offense overwhelming the Matadors. Freshman guard Tyler Lamb (Mater Dei High) assisted on consecutive fast-break dunks to Reeves and Honeycutt. Lamb capped off the 17-2 run with a fast-break layup.

The Matadors' first point didn't come until 15:11 in the first half, their first made field goal a minute later. By then three UCLA starters had scored twice each and the Bruins had 17 points.

UCLA plays Pepperdine on Monday at Pauley in the NIT Season Tip-Off.
_______

Cal State Northridge forward Lenny Daniel (5) gets his shot blocked by UCLA forward Brendan Lane (21) during the first half. GUS RUELAS, AP




UCLA sets a fast and furious pace in basketball opener

The Bruins race out to a 15-0 lead and never look back in 83-50 victory over Cal State Northridge.

November 12, 2010|By Ben Bolch|The Los Angeles Times


The pecking order inside Pauley Pavilion made sense again.

Pushed around on its home floor by a Big West Conference opponent a year ago, UCLA pushed back in its opener this time.

Hard.

The Bruins delivered an early knockout against Cal State Northridge on Friday night, scoring the first 15 points on the way to an 83-50 victory.

UCLA had promised to play fast, but no one said anything about starting games at warp speed. The Bruins scored basket after basket, essentially ending any suspense about the outcome in the first five minutes.

Matador forward Lenny Daniel, back left, guard Dathan Lyles, (10), and guard Rashaun McLemore, right, defend UCLA forward Reeves Nelson during the first half. GUS RUELAS, AP

It was like a highlight reel stuck on fast forward. Bruins guard Lazeric Jones repeatedly buried jumpers and forward Tyler Honeycutt whisked an over-the-shoulder pass to Reeves Nelson for a dunk.

"We just wanted to set the tone for what's going to happen this year," said Nelson, who finished with a game-high 17 points on six-for-six shooting.

The early lead eventually swelled to 28 points as UCLA made a staggering 72% of its shots in the first half. It was sweet redemption for a team that went 0-2 last season against Big West teams, including a double overtime loss to Cal State Fullerton in its opener.

There was no doubt which team hailed from the major conference Friday. The Bruins were more athletic, more assertive and more willing to make the extra pass to get an easy basket.

Jones appeared more confident after acknowledging that he had struggled to adjust to Coach Ben Howland's system in the Bruins' exhibition games. He scored 12 points in the first half and finished with 15 points and four assists to go with only one turnover.

"I feel when I'm aggressive," Jones said, "I'm a little more effective."

The only things Howland said didn't please him were too many turnovers (22) and Northridge's 18 offensive rebounds. Honeycutt had 16 points and six rebounds but was responsible for seven of the Bruins' turnovers.

"A lot of them, I was going for the home run pass and was a little too excited because we had such a big lead," Honeycutt said. "Next game, I'll tone it down a little bit."

UCLA freshman center Joshua Smith was active from the opening tip, nearly forcing a turnover on the Matadors' first possession when he combined with Nelson on a double team. Smith also intercepted a pass and later grabbed a rebound to start a possession that ended in a mid-range jumper by Jones.

UCLA suddenly had a 13-0 lead and Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell felt compelled to call a timeout. Applauding Bruins fans rose to their feet.

But the game-opening run wasn't over. Malcolm Lee added a pull-up jumper before the Matadors finally scored on a free throw by Lenny Daniel with 4 minutes 47 seconds having elapsed. Daniel, Northridge's only returning starter, struggled to deal with repeated double teams and finished with one point.

Expectations aren't particularly high this season for Northridge. Braswell joked last month that the only thing his team might win was a cooking competition in which Braswell prevailed against other coaches from the Big West.

Senior guard Rashaun McLemore scored 10 points for the Matadors, who looked shaky from start to finish, committing 27 turnovers and shooting only 29%.

"We just didn't come out ready to play," Braswell said.
________

UCLA doesn't repeat last year's mistake, routs CSUN
By Jon Gold, Staff Writer
The Los Angeles Daily News
Posted: 11/13/2010 12:14:05 AM PST
Updated: 11/13/2010 12:14:52 AM PST


UCLA coach Ben Howland could be heard in the highest corridors of Pauley Pavilion, all the way into the tunnels, the screams reverberating deep into the hearts of the Bruins.

"Push!" he screamed. "Push! Push!"

The Bruins heeded their coach's advice, chasing Cal State Northridge out of the building with a 83-50 win.

Maybe they chased away their demons, too.

"We've put last year behind us," Howland said. "Maybe it's a motivator that we had such a poor year. But I'm not thinking about last year right now. We're moving on."

Last season, the Bruins fell hard, fast and so far down that they barely resembled a program that has won 11 national championships, much less one.

A 14-18 season included losses to Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton. They weren't about to let similar embarrassment strike again.

UCLA came out with tremendous energy, flustering the Matadors into poor passing and even poorer shooting. With impressive length in the interior, the Bruins could afford to take chances on the perimeter, and they worked.

CSUN shot just 3 of 19 from the field to start the game with 12 first-half turnovers, while UCLA jumped to a 27-9 lead midway through the half.

The Bruins continued to choke out the Matadors, stretching the lead to as many as 42 in the second half.

"I thought our defense was good," Howland said. "We did a really good job early in the game. We doubled the post, and really took them out. ...

It's hard; one reason I'm so happy is we have this young team, 22 practices, and we have so much more to put in."

The Bruins shot 13 of 16 to start the game on their way to a 57 percent effort, with Reeves Nelson leading the way.

Nelson had 17 points as he thrived in transition, working the passing lanes alongside Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee.

Honeycutt added 16 points and six rebounds, but junior transfer point guard Lazeric Jones had an important 15 points and four assists, effectively mixing aggressiveness to the basket with a keen sense for the pass.

"I was trying my best to be aggressive today," Jones said. "I feel that when I'm aggressive, I'm a little more effective. When I'm laid back, coach gets on me. He wants me more aggressive."

It was not all sunshine and roses in UCLA's debut, though, and Howland screamed just as much about the Bruins' decision-making as their up-tempo game.

UCLA committed 22 turnovers - seven by Honeycutt alone - though they forced 27 by CSUN.

"Some of them, I didn't think we're turnovers - the double-dribble, the three-second call - but a lot of them I was going for the home-run pass," Honeycutt said. "I was trying to get the crowd going 'Oohee' a little more. I'll tone it down for the next game."
_________

UCLA cruises over CSUN, 83-50

By Jon Gold on November 12, 2010 10:18 PM
Inside UCLA blog
LA Daily News

UCLA head coach Ben Howland could be heard in the highest corridors of Pauley Pavilion, all the way into the tunnels, the screams reverberating deep into the hearts of the Bruins.
"Push!" he screamed. "Push! Push!"

Their coach sounding more like an obstetrician than a basketball coach, the Bruins heeded his advice, chasing the Cal State Northridge Matadors out of the building with a 83-50 win.
Maybe they chased away their demons, too.

"We've put last year behind us," Howland said. "Maybe it's a motivator that we had such a poor year. But I'm not thinking about last year right now. We're moving on."

Last season, the Bruins fell hard and they fell fast and they fell so far down that they barely resembled a program that has won 11 national championships, much less one. A 14-18 season included losses to Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton.

They weren't about to let similar embarrassment strike again.

UCLA came out with tremendous energy, flustering the Matadors into poor passing and even poorer shooting. With impressive length in the interior, the Bruins could afford to take chances on the perimeter, and they worked.

CSUN shot just three-of-19 from the field to start the game with 12 first-half turnovers, while UCLA jumped to a 27-9 lead midway through the half. The Bruins continued to choke out the Matadors, stretching the lead to as many as 42 in the second half.

"I thought our defense was good," Howland said. "We did a really good job early in the game. We doubled the post, and really took them out. ... It's hard; one reason I'm so happy is we have this young team, 22 practices, and we have so much more to put in."

If the Matadors couldn't shoot a fish in a barrel, UCLA took a bazooka and smashed the barrel into smithereens.

The Bruins shot 13-of-16 to start the game on their way to a 57-percent effort, with Reeves Nelson leading the way.

Nelson had 17 points as he thrived in transition, working the passing lanes alongside Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee.

Honeycutt added 16 points and six rebounds, but junior transfer point guard Lazeric Jones had an important 15 points and four assists, effectively mixing aggressiveness to the basket with a keen sense for the pass.

"I was trying my best to be aggressive today," Jones said. "I feel that when I'm aggressive, I'm a little more effective. When I'm laid back, coach gets on me. He wants me more aggressive."

It was not all sunshine and roses in UCLA's debut, though, and Howland screamed just as much about the Bruins' decision-making as their up-tempo game.
UCLA committed 22 turnovers - seven by Honeycutt alone - though they forced 27 by CSUN.

"Some of them, I didn't think we're turnovers - the double-dribble, the three-second call - but a lot of them I was going for the home-run pass," Honeycutt said. "I was trying to get the crowd going 'Oohee' a little more. I'll tone it down for the next game."