UCLA Falls to No. 3 Michigan State, 75-62. Finishes 6th in Maui. Bruins now 5-3 for season.

from Big10 Network
Highlights Extended V from Matthew Loves Ball

Full game from uco755
from Jeff Siegel

from uclabruins.com

LAHAINA, Hawai'i – The UCLA men's basketball team dropped a 75-62 decision to No. 3 Michigan State on Wednesday morning at the Lahaina Civic Center in the fifth-place game of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.

Junior Chris Smith scored a team-leading 13 points off the bench, connecting on 3 of 5 shots from the field and 7 of 8 free throw attempts. Rounding out UCLA's list of double-figure scorers included sophomore Cody Riley (11 points), senior Prince Ali (10 points) and freshman Tyger Campbell (10 points).

Riley finished with 11 points, six rebounds and a pair of assists.

Freshman Jaime Jaquez Jr. led all players with eight rebounds and also scored seven points.

UCLA (5-3) finished the non-conference contest with a 34-22 scoring advantage in the paint and out-rebounded Michigan State by a 33-22 tally. The Bruins led 18-14 with under six minutes to play in the first half and trailed the Spartans (5-2) at the intermission, 26-23.

"Obviously, a physically tough game today," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "I'm proud of the fact our guys out-rebounded them by one. We took care of the ball. That's two areas of improvement for our team. It is tough to win a game like that when you go 2 for 15 from three. We had some really good looks at times. Really, that's the difference in the game. We get outscored 24 to 6 at the three-point line."

Michigan State's Cassius Winston scored a game-high 20 points and finished with four assists. The Spartans out-scored UCLA in transition, 18-2 and nailed 8 of 19 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc.

Michigan State's Marcus Bingham Jr. and Xavier Tillman each blocked three shots. The Spartans finished Wednesday's game with nine total blocks.

The two teams traded leads six times in the first half. Michigan State scored seven consecutive points before UCLA freshman Jake Kyman hit a 3-point shot with 58 seconds left before halftime. Kyman's shot closed the six-point deficit to 26-23 as the two teams entered the locker room.

Michigan State opened the second half with a 10-2 scoring run, pulling ahead by a 36-25 margin with 17:08 left in the second half. The Spartans consistently led by 10 or more points through the second half, before UCLA trimmed its deficit to nine points with under five minutes to play. A layup by Smith pulled UCLA to within 69-60 at the 2:39 mark.

The Spartans had a 13-0 advantage in the first half with points scored in transition. However, UCLA held the opposition to just 9 of 24 shooting from the field (37.5 percent) before halftime. 

UCLA's all-time record against Michigan State fell to 6-4. The two programs faced each other nearly one year ago at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational (Las Vegas), where the Spartans registered an 87-67 win over UCLA (Nov. 22, 2018).

The Bruins will return to action against San Jose State on Sunday, Dec. 1, in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Game time is 5 p.m. (PT). The Bruins' game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network, with Anne Marie Anderson and Casey Jacobsen on the call.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

UCLA cruises past Chaminade University, 74-48. Bruins now 5-2. Will play Cassius Winston and MSU for 5th place.

From UCLA Athletics

Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored a season-high 17 points and tallied 12 rebounds in the Bruins' 74-48 win over Chaminade University on Tuesday afternoon at the Lahaina Civic Center in Maui.

From Jeff Siegal

Game recap from uclabruins.com

LAHAINA, Hawai'i – Freshman Jaime Jaquez Jr. registered season highs with 17 points and 12 rebounds to pace the UCLA men's basketball team past Chaminade University, 74-48, in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Playing their second game in as many days at the Lahaina Civic Center, UCLA (5-2) led at halftime by a 22-16 margin before outscoring the Silverswords from Honolulu by a 52-32 tally in the second half.
 
Jaquez Jr. was one of four UCLA players to score in double figures, connecting on 8 of 11 shots from the field and also contributing three steals and a pair of assists.
 
UCLA (5-2) will face No. 3 Michigan State (4-2) in the tournament's fifth-place game on Wednesday morning. UCLA's game will begin at 11:30 a.m. (PT) and will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
 
"Once we stopped turning the ball over we were able to score some baskets," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "We shot 55 percent from the field. We've still got a lot of growing to do as a team. You see the fact that Jaime started the second half and played the entire second half. It is my first year, obviously, at UCLA. I think I'm six or seven games in, and we're just trying to build our culture of competitiveness. So these guys are, these two guys [Jaime and Cody] are really trying to embrace it and physically compete."
 
Also scoring in double figures for the Bruins on Tuesday were Cody Riley (15 points), David Singleton (15 points) and Prince Ali (10 points). Singleton nailed all five of his six 3-point attempts after halftime, finishing the game with career highs in 3-pointers made (5) and total points (15).
 
Tyger Campbell led all UCLA players with six assists. He finished with six points, five rebounds and two steals.
 
UCLA made 19 of its 29 second-half shot attempts, converting at a 65.5 percent clip. The Bruins outscored Chaminade by a 52-32 advantage after halftime. Singleton and Jaquez combined for 28 of the team's 30 points off the bench in the second half.
 
Singleton's five 3-pointers in the second half accounted for all of UCLA's 3-point baskets. Overall, UCLA shot 55 percent from the field and out-rebounded Chaminade, 45-29.
 
Chaminade made 6 of 31 shots in the first half, but took advantage of the Bruins' 12 turnovers to keep UCLA's lead to just six points at halftime (22-16). The Silverswords tied the game early in the second half, at 22-22, before the Bruins used a 12-2 scoring run to pull away.
 
UCLA led by as many as 29 points with 1:39 left in regulation.
 
Chaminade was held to a 23.3 shooting percentage against UCLA, making 14 of 60 shots and 3 of 21 from 3-point territory.
 
Wednesday's matchup between UCLA and Michigan State will mark the 10th all-time meeting between these two programs. UCLA has compiled a 6-3 all-time record versus the Spartans. The most recent meeting took place nearly one year ago, as Michigan State downed UCLA in Las Vegas, 87-67.

UCLA Falls to BYU, 78-63, in Maui Opener. Drops to 4-2 for season.

Highlights Extended V from Matthew Loves Ball

From Jeff Siegal


Game recap from uclabruins.com

LAHAINA, Hawai'i – Sophomore Jules Bernard scored a team-high 16 points as the UCLA men's basketball team lost to BYU, 78-63, in a Maui Jim Maui Invitational first-round game on Monday night at the Lahaina Civic Center.
 
The Bruins will return to action Tuesday at 2 p.m. (PT), facing Chaminade University at the Lahaina Civic Center. UCLA's game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
 
Sophomore Cody Riley added 12 points for the Bruins (4-2). Freshman Tyger Campbell finished with 11 points, while senior Prince Ali tallied 10.
 
"Give BYU credit," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "We couldn't finish the game. We're a young team, still figuring it out, finding our way. But they made it hard on us. I think that you have got to always give the other team credit. Obviously, not happy with our defensive effort, but they have a lot to do with that. In the last nine minutes, they did a tremendous job of putting us on defense for 30 seconds, [and] a couple times we didn't get crucial rebounds that broke our back."
 
Bernard and Riley each totaled six rebounds to lead the Bruins, who held an overall advantage of 28-26 on the boards. Junior Chris Smith dished out a game-high six assists.
 
BYU (4-2) made 31 of 50 shot attempts, shooting 62 percent from the field. In addition, the Cougars made 9 of 18 shots from 3-point range against UCLA.
 
The first half saw the Bruins and Cougars alternate 7-0 runs, the latter of which gave BYU a 34-28 lead with 2:39 to go. The Cougars converted 15 of their 23 shot attempts, with Kolby Lee sinking 4 of 5 shots for nine early points. UCLA remained in striking distance by creating second-chance opportunities, with seven offensive rebounds and four steals. Ali matched Lee's nine points while Bernard added eight for the Bruins.
 
UCLA held a 52-51 lead with 11:19 remaining in the game, only to have BYU answer by scoring the game's next 10 points. BYU used an 11-0 run, extending the margin to as many as 20 points with 1:54 to play.
 
Three Cougars scored in double figures, led by Jake Toolson (20 points). TJ Haws added 15 points while Lee finished with 13. Zac Seljaas pulled down 11 rebounds.
 
BYU has advanced to face No. 4 Kansas in Tuesday's second semifinal. That game will begin at 7:30 p.m. (PT).

UCLA Falls to Hofstra, 88-78. Bruins drop to 4-1.

Pac-12 Networks - UCLA men's basketball fell to Hofstra 88-78 for its first loss of the season on Thursday. The defeat came despite Jalen Hill's career-high 24 points. Hill also added 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the year. But it was not enough to get past Hofstra, which got its first-ever win against a Pac-12 opponent. The loss drops UCLA to 4-1 on the young season. The Bruins will get back in action on Monday when they take on BYU.


from uclabruins.com 

LOS ANGELES – Redshirt sophomore Jalen Hill totaled a career-high 24 points and finished with 12 rebounds as the UCLA men's basketball team lost to Hofstra, 88-78, Thursday night in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.

The Bruins (4-1) tallied a 42-12 scoring advantage in the paint, as Hill was supported by redshirt sophomore Cody Riley (12 points) and junior Chris Smith (12 points).

Hill scored at least 20 points for the second time this season, eclipsing a 22-point total from a game against UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 10.

Hofstra was led by guards Desure Buie (29 points) and Jalen Ray (27). In addition, Eli Pemberton (15 points) and Tareq Coburn (10 points) also scored in double figures for Hofstra (3-2), in the first meeting between these two programs since the 2001 NCAA Tournament.

Hofstra shot 50 percent from 3-point range, sinking 12 of 24 long-range shots. In addition, the Pride made 24 of 30 free throw attempts, including a perfect 13-for-13 from Buie.

"They're obviously not a big team, so we knew we could score the ball in the paint," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "We struggled mightily early in the game, turning the ball over. They made it a game when they started pinching off the paint a little bit. We missed some wide-open looks, but offense wasn't our problem."

UCLA made 12 of its first 17 shots, establishing a 32-19 lead with 8:14 to go in the first half.

Hofstra answered by scoring the next 10 points and eventually trimmed UCLA's cushion to just one point at halftime, 42-41. Pemberton led Hofstra with 13 points through the first half, while Hill scored a team-leading 12 points before halftime for the Bruins. UCLA tallied 14 assists on their 16 first-half baskets.

Hofstra scored to open the second half, taking its first lead since the 17:25 mark of the opening stanza. The game's lead changed hands twice more in the second half. Hofstra used a 13-4 scoring run to take an 82-72 lead in the game's final three minutes.

The Bruins' bench accounted for 21 points, while Hofstra's reserves scored just two. Freshman Jake Kyman scored his first six points as a Bruin on a pair of first-half 3-pointers. In all, eight UCLA players scored two or more points.

UCLA will return to action at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational next week (complete schedule here), opening against BYU on Monday, Nov. 25. UCLA's game will begin at 6:30 p.m. Hawaii time (8:30 p.m. PT). The game will be televised on ESPN2, live from the Lahaina Civic Center (Lahaina, Hawai'i).

The Bruins will face either Kansas or Chaminade University on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The other four teams in this season's Maui Jim Maui Invitational include Dayton, Georgia, Michigan State and Virginia Tech.

Bruins de-feather Thunderbirds 76-61. UCLA now 4-0 for season.

Pac-12 Networks - UCLA men's basketball defeats Southern Utah 76-61 on Monday evening in Westwood to move to 4-0 for the second straight season. Junior guard Chris Smith finished with a career-high 20 points against the Thunderbirds; Smith has scored in double-figures in all four of UCLA's contests this year. Defensively the Bruins' continue to wreak havoc as they tallied a season-high 10 blocks – most blocks in a game since 2013. Download the Pac-12 Now app today to make sure you never miss a moment of the action.

Pac-12 Networks
Highlights Extended V from Matthew Loves Ball

UCLA Athletics
UCLA Athletics

Game recap from uclabruins.com

LOS ANGELES – Junior Chris Smith scored a career-high 20 points as the UCLA men's basketball team defeated Southern Utah, 76-61, Monday evening in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.

The game was played as part of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational mainland schedule, a precursor to tournament play in Lahaina next week (at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui). 

UCLA (4-0) registered its fourth consecutive win, backed by double-digit scoring efforts from sophomore Jalen Hill (17 points) and senior Prince Ali (10 points), in addition to Smith's career-high 20 points.

UCLA led 25-6 midway through the first half and maintained a 35-22 advantage at halftime.

"I'm a big believer in if we pick a way we're going to defend a team, we're pretty gameplan specific, and we followed the gameplan early in the game from a defensive standpoint," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "Once we got a big lead, our mind wasn't on defense anymore. We weren't locked in defensively, and we've got to grow up to where we can be locked in for extended periods of time if we're going to be a good team."

Hill and Cody Riley each totaled eight rebounds and three blocked shots for the Bruins. In fact, Riley finished with a career-high three blocks. As a team, the Bruins turned away a season-high 10 shots.

Freshman guard Tyger Campbell recorded a season-best three steals, while Ali added three of his own. The Bruins matched their season high with 11 steals on Monday evening.

UCLA never trailed the visiting Thunderbirds in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Southern Utah (2-2) faced a deficit of 10 points or more over the final 33 minutes and 55 seconds of the game.

The Bruins used a 13-0 scoring run, distancing themselves from SUU early in the first half. The Thunderbirds missed 10 of their first 11 shots. The Bruins' lead increased to as many as 19 points during the first half, with UCLA scoring 12 points off six turnovers by Southern Utah.

UCLA had opened a 25-6 cushion in the first 14 minutes of the game.

Smith scored a dozen more points in the second half, and UCLA saw its lead reach a game-high 20 points (67-47) with 4:11 to play. Smith's career-best scoring total marked the second time in as many games he accomplished that feat (his 16 points last Friday against UNLV were a then-career high).

In all, 11 Bruins saw action in the non-conference contest, and nine of those players scored at least two points. Redshirt freshman Shareef O'Neal scored the first five points of his collegiate career.

John Knight III led Southern Utah with 14 points and dished out a game-high six assists. Harrison Butler (13 points), Cameron Oluyitan (11) and Dwayne Morgan (10) also scored in double figures for the Thunderbirds.

UCLA will return to action against Hofstra this Thursday night. Game time is 8 p.m. (PT). UCLA's game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.

UCLA Runs Past UNLV, 71-54. UCLA now 3-0.

UCLA Athletics
The Bruins cruised to a 71-54 victory over UNLV on Friday night in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom, improving their record this season to 3-0. UNLV's 54 points were the fewest that UCLA has allowed since 2017. Chris Smith scored 16 points and Tyger Campbell added 15 in the win.
Highlights Extended V courtesy of  Matthew Loves Ball.
UCLA Athletics
UCLA Athletics
UCLA Athletics

UCLA Takes Down UC Santa Barbara, 77-61, goes 2-0 for season

UCLA Athletics

Jalen Hill tallied 22 points and 10 rebounds, leading UCLA past UC Santa Barbara, 77-61, on Sunday, Nov. 10. Hill scored a career-high 22 points, while Jules Bernard finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. The Bruins will return to action against UNLV on Friday, Nov. 15.

Extended highlights from Matthew Loves Ball

UCLA sludges through the Beach 69-65 in Coach Cronin's debut

Pac-12 Networks

UCLA men's basketball staged a comeback to win 69-65 over Long Beach State in head coach Mick Cronin's debut. Redshirt freshman Tyger Campbell led the Bruins with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Michael Carter III led LBSU with 20 points, two rebounds and three assists. UCLA trailed 33-27 at halftime but put up 42 points to LBSU's 32 in the second half to seal the comeback victory. The Bruins return to action Sunday against UC Santa Barbara – catch the action live at 4:00 p.m. PT/ 5:00 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Networks.