UCLA shuts down Boston University in a blowout victory

The early season in college basketball is full of games that seem like nonconference mismatches on paper and the UCLA Bruins men's basketball schedule is no exception to this rule. Last Monday night at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus, the Bruins easily defeated the Boston University Terriers, 71-40. The Bruins never trailed and were never seriously threatened in the game.

The Bruins defense caused 28 turnovers and had 59 deflections in the victory. The deflection stat is one that UCLA head coach Mick Cronin harps on, a deflection being a tipped ball, steal, or block. Basically, getting your hand on the ball on defense and disrupting the opponent's offense. The deflections are a reflection of the effort. The Bruins worked hard on Monday Night, but the 31-point win, while enjoyable, is not a reflection of where the team is at right now.

The Bruins shot just 40% on field goals and 22.7% on three-point shots. UCLA also had 15 turnovers. But Cronin was pleased with the effort of his team and not as concerned about the shooting woes.

"Our effort was great tonight," Cronin said. "It couldn't be much better, other than on the offensive glass. But other than that, I thought our effort was great, I thought our attitude was great. I could care less about missed shots. I know we've got a bunch of guys that can shoot. Not my concern. That happens. We didn't need them tonight because we held the team to 40 points. If we hold everybody to 40, we'll win every game for the rest of the year."

The defensive effort was outstanding, with point guard Skyy Clark leading the effort with 16 deflections, one off the record for guys that have played for Cronin. Lazar Stefanovic started in place of injured Dylan Andrews, who sat out with an injured groin, and played well, scoring 13 points. Stefanovic hit 3 of 5 three-point attempts, while the rest of the team made just 2 of 17 three pointers. Stefanovic also had a dunk that was celebrated by his teammates.

"Sixteen deflections, that's one off of the record of guys that have played for me," Cronin said. "I could care less about his points; he got six rebounds and sixteen deflections. He's wreaking havoc all over the place. He's got games where he's going to score plenty of points. But he's really trying to embrace what we're trying to do with his effort."

On Stefanovic's performance, Cronin stated that, "Minus his one turnover, I thought he did a great job. If we're going to have a big year, Lazar has to help us. He's a senior, he played 40 minutes a game last year, he can make shots, he's smart, he's 6'6. He was the second leading rebounder on our team last year. I thought it was a great opportunity with Dylan out to get him in the lineup and try to get his confidence going."

Stefanovic and Eric Daily Jr. led the Bruins in scoring with 13 points each, and Sebastian Mack came off the bench to add 12 points. Mack is instant offense off of the bench and when he plays under control is a valuable contributor to the team. Dailey was praised by Cronin for his "attitude, energy, and effort."

The victory improved the Bruins to 2-1 on the season, while Boston University is now 0-3 in the 2024-205 season. The Bruins will take on the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks on Friday Night, November 15 at Pauley Pavilion. The game will start at 7:00 pm and will be available on the Big+, the Big Ten Network's subscription video streaming service. Both Boston University and Lehigh University are members of the Patriot League.

The Mountain Hawks are 0-3 on the season, with road losses at Northwestern, Georgetown, and Columbia. This will be another opportunity for the Bruins to continue to work on their team defense and ball movement on offense. With six transfers on the roster, it will take time for the Bruins to get comfortable and familiar with each other on the offensive end.