UCLA is sloppy in 80-53 exhibition victory over Azusa Pacific

There is a brand new floor at Pauley Pavilion, but perhaps the water damage from a July flood left some rust. In its first exhibition game, against a Division II opponent, the UCLA men’s basketball team looked like a work in progress.

The tempo was sluggish and the offense sloppy. Norman Powell was assertive, but he was the only one who displayed point-scoring ability. The defense, which is expected to be a strength, appeared disorganized early on.

If not for ice-cold shooting, Azusa Pacific could have drawn closer than the 80-53 final score would indicate.

“It was a lot different playing with them guys in a real game,” said UCLA forward Kevon Looney.

The Cougars missed their first 19 shots, including some open looks, and the Bruins lurched to a 14-0 lead. Then the Bruins were outscored, 22-19, over the rest of the first half before taking over in the second.

The backcourt is the team’s biggest question mark. Friday’s game did little to inspire confidence.

Though Isaac Hamilton and Bryce Alford split the bulk of the ballhandling duties, Powell was the engine in transition. He had 21 points on five-for-11 shooting. Hamilton looked out of practice after sitting out his freshman year after transferring from Texas El Paso. Alford had 15 points but just two assists.

Looney, the highly regarded freshman forward, wasn’t a factor in the scoring, but he rebounded as advertised, with 12 boards.

An October game is a typically poor indicator of a team’s strength. Friday’s game did not count, and UCLA has two weeks before its regular-season opener.

“There’s just a lot of newness, and I think you saw that a little bit tonight,” said UCLA Coach Steve Alford. “I think that’s why we play exhibition games.”

[email protected]