Men’s basketball’s 113-78 win quiets preseason skeptics

Three and a half minutes was all it took.

The preseason’s doubts, concerns and emphasis on what UCLA men’s basketball may have lost in the offseason lingered in Pauley Pavilion for the opening moments of UCLA’s season opener against Montana State.

With the Bruins trailing 8-5 and their lack of guard depth put on full display after two quick fouls on sophomore guard Bryce Alford, the uncertainties of the offseason seemed valid initially.

But starting three and a half minutes later, the Bruins put all those doubts – and the Bobcats – behind them.

UCLA (1-0) settled into a groove, going on a 32-9 run to blow past Montana State, eventually winning 113-78.

After a sloppy and plodding start, the Bruins eventually kicked into gear by doing what they did best last season: pushing the tempo.

As UCLA forced turnovers and got out in transition, the points began to come easily. UCLA’s 60-32 halftime lead was the most points UCLA has scored in a half since Nov. 15, 2012, when it scored 63 first-half points over James Madison.

The Bruins’ fast pace caused Montana State to make mistakes, as the Bobcats committed 18 first-half fouls; the Bruins turned that into 16 points from the free-throw line.

“It took a little bit for us to get started, but it happens like that. We have a really young team playing their first game,” said senior guard Norman Powell. “But I like when we did get it going in transition, we kept with it and that was the driving point that opened up our offense.”

Alford and Powell initially led the way, with Alford draining several three-pointers and Powell gashing the Bobcat defense, drawing fouls and converting on layups.

Eventually, the rest of the Bruins got involved, with six players finishing with 10 or more points.

UCLA’s newest additions, who all struggled to some extent in the Bruins’ exhibition game two weeks ago against Azusa Pacific, were much more productive Friday.

Sophomore guard Isaac Hamilton looked much more comfortable with his shot, scoring eight straight points in the first half and finishing with 15 overall. Freshman center Thomas Welsh also chipped in with 14 points and four rebounds.

Freshman forward Kevon Looney got to the foul line at will, making 11 of his 17 free-throw attempts. Looney finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, but said he wanted to play longer to grab one more rebound.

“Me and (junior forward-center Tony Parker), we always have a ‘Who’s gonna get more rebounds tonight’ (competition),” Looney said. “I ended up having more than him tonight but I wanted to get 10. He said I wasn’t gonna get 10, so I lost that one.”

But UCLA’s biggest contributors were its two leaders: Alford and Powell.

Alford’s efficient shooting and career-high 12 assists, coupled with Powell’s 25 points and relentless energy, set the tone for the Bruins and carried them throughout.

While there were some issues – coach Steve Alford said UCLA’s on-ball defense was poor – Alford said he was pleased with his team’s ability to force turnovers, its fast pace and the improved play of its bench and young players.

“For openers, I don’t know if I could have asked for more,” Alford said.

It was just one game, but it was enough for UCLA to quiet its critics for a night.