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UCLA takes care of business, pushes past Kent State

By Evan Lovett

Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) prepares to shoot the ball against the Kent State Golden Flashes in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) prepares to shoot the ball against the Kent State Golden Flashes in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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The UCLA Bruins will advance to the round of 32.

The Bruins, underwhelming during their two games during the Pac-12 conference tournament, started this game afire.

Featuring buckets by all five starters, UCLA would lead 16-2 and 20-5 in the early going. Kent State soon found their footing, exploiting the oft-criticized Bruins defense.

Key UCLA defensive presence and inside dominator Ike Anigbogu was in a walking boot after a foot injury suffered in practice on Tuesday. That meant more minutes for junior forward Gyorgy Golomon and an increased reliance on all-conference freshman TJ Leaf.

The defense, missing its anchor, was consistently attacked inside while the Golden Flashes continued to shoot well from the three-point line.

The score was 47-39 halftime.

As UCLA coach Steve Alford told TruTV prior to halftime, “we didn’t defend very well the last ten minutes. Got in some foul trouble.”

Jimmy Hall Jr. was a nettlesome presence for the UCLA defense. The senior forward for the Golden Flashes found comfort in the paint, grabbing easy buckets inside on his way to 20 points.

He also dominated the glass, taking 15 rebounds. The balanced Kent State attack also featured 23 points from Jaylin Walker, 18 points from Deon Edwin.

Leaf was the premier offensive threat for the Bruins, scoring 23 points including a hellacious monster dunk in the first half.

Lonzo Ball netted 15 points, including two momentum-busting three-pointers that halted Kent State runs.

Thomas Welsh added 16 for UCLA, and Isaac Hamilton scored 14. Aaron Holiday streak for 15 and 11 assists off the bench. Late in the second half, the Bruins went on a 12-minute streak where they did not miss a shot.

With Lonzo Ball’s third assist on the night, he eclipsed Larry Drew for the single-season UCLA assist record. The Bruins passed for 25 assists on the night.

Their 21 assists per game average is the most since the Kentucky national champions in 1995-1996. There was also a scary moment in the first half as Ball went down hard after skying for a pass from Holiday.

Ball landed on his hip and was down for a minute, but shook off the jolt to return to form.

The Bruins advance to play against Cincinnati at the Golden West Center on Sunday. The time is still to be determined.

The Mick Cronin-coached Bearcats are known for their tenacious defense, which should make for a very interesting matchup against the Bruins high-flying offense.

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