UCLA
2-0
UC Santa Barbara
1-1
UCLA Downs UC Santa Barbara, 77-61
November 10, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA men's basketball team used a dominant second half to overcome a two-point halftime deficit, en route to a 77-61 win over UC Santa Barbara on Sunday in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
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Sophomore Jalen Hill scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead UCLA (2-0), as he registered his fourth career double-double. Hill, who hails from nearby Corona, Calif., had 17 of his 22 points in the second half.
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UCLA concluded the game with four players who scored in double figures. Jules Bernard had 20-point effort, while Chris Smith had 13 points and Prince Ali finished with 12.
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The Bruins trailed UC Santa Barbara at halftime, 34-32. UCLA responded in the second half, outscoring the visiting Gauchos by a 45-27 margin. Hill had 17 points after the intermission, while Bernard had 12 of his 20 points in the second half.
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UCLA used strong advantages on the glass and at the free throw line to pull away from UC Santa Barbara (1-1). The Bruins out-rebounded UCSB, 40-26, and recorded an 18-5 advantage on the offensive glass, helping lead to 20 second-chance points. UCLA shot 19 for 27 (70%) from the free throw line in the contest, compared to just eight made free throw shots for the visitors.
"Our second half defensive intensity went to the level we needed to in order for us to win the game" said The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach Mick Cronin. "We had a spirited halftime talk and the guys rose to the challenge. It's the mark of a good team, we played better as the game went on."
Coach Cronin Postgame | Student-Athletes Postgame
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The Bruins came out on fire at the start of the second half, using an 18-5 scoring run to break open a 50-39 cushion. Ali jump-started the rally with a game-tying jumper before picking off a pass at half court on the ensuing playย and throwing down an uncontested dunk to put UCLA up for good.
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UCLA's lead ballooned to 12 when Jules Bernard hit a three from the right corner at the 10:43 mark.
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UCLA continued to apply pressure over the final 10 minutes of the game, never letting the lead get smaller than eight points. The Bruins' margin remained in double digits for the remainder of the contest after a Hill put-back with 4:12 remaining.
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On the strength of nine points from Max Heidegger and a 50% team shooting percentage, UCSB enjoyed a 34-32 lead at the halftime break. The Gauchos led by as many as six points in the first half after forward Jay Nagle hit a three-pointer to make it 29-23 with 3:57 remaining, but UCLA outscored the visitors 9-5 the rest of the way to head into the locker room down only two. Ali was a key figure in that run, scoring five points including a key three-pointer and a pair of free throws that served as the final points of the half.
Heidegger led UC Santa Barbara with 21 points (connecting on 7 of 12 shots). UCSB forward Amadou Sow had seven points and 10 rebounds.
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UCLA will return to action on Friday, Nov. 15 against UNLV. The Bruins will tip-off against the Runnin' Rebels at 8:00 p.m. in a game that will be televised by Pac-12 Network.
