UCLA survives challenge by Long Beach State, 83-76

UCLA men’s basketball Coach Steve Alford was worried about this game.

After Thursday’s victory over No. 1 Kentucky, would the Bruins experience a letdown? Two things bothered him.

“I was worried about the emotion and the energy and the effort that was put into Thursday night,” Alford said.

“And,” he added, “the fact that we’ve got Long Beach.”

There was cause for anxiety. Long Beach State “came out and they hit us pretty good,” Alford said. But UCLA weathered an early onslaught to scrape out an 83-76 victory at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday.

The Bruins sandwiched this game between Kentucky and a trip Saturday to No. 13 Gonzaga. Afterward, Alford mentioned, for a second time this season, that he would reexamine the way UCLA scheduled its games. Long Beach State, he said, was too dangerous to become an afterthought.

It did not help that the crowd, 6,443, was roughly half of Thursday’s game, nor that the team was studying for finals Monday.

The 49ers (5-5) were especially threatening to UCLA (6-3) because of their skill from behind the arc. They were averaging nearly nine three-point baskets per game. And UCLA had struggled defending the perimeter.

A.J. Spencer took Long Beach State’s first attempt, a three-point shot. It went in. Nick Faust took its second, another three-pointer. That went in, too.

By the first media timeout, the 49ers had made three three-pointers. They led, 17-11, “and our goal is to give up six each media timeout,” Alford said.

Guard Bryce Alford said it was hard to adjust to a team whose style differed so drastically from Kentucky. In that game, UCLA was content to give up three-point shots. The Wildcats shot 25, and Steve Alford said he would’ve been happy if they shot more.

Long Beach State shot 30 and made 11.

“I can’t control that,” Steve Alford said. “That’s their offense. We know they’re going to be a three-point-shooting team.”

UCLA awoke in the second half. Coach Dan Monson, a friend of Steve Alford’s, said he watches every UCLA game he can. His familiarity led to a plan: keep the ball in the guards’ hands and try to force turnovers.

UCLA still fed the ball inside — Tony Parker made eight of 12 shots for 16 points, Thomas Welsh made seven of 12 for 15 and each had 10 rebounds — but, offensively, Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton met Monson’s challenge.

Seven minutes into the second half, the two guards outscored Long Beach State, 13-10. After Bryce Alford made a three-pointer — he made five of 10 for a game-high 24 points — Monson called a timeout. The Bruins ran into the huddle, high-fiving each other.

Hamilton contributed 21 points. At one point, UCLA led by 12 points.

Long Beach State forced its way to the free-throw line and cut UCLA’s lead to two points with one minute remaining, but the two guards iced the game late.

“Obviously, that’s something for any team, really, a big win like [Thursday], it’s hard,” Bryce Alford said. “It was good to grind it out and get a win.”

UCLA UP NEXT

Saturday vs. Gonzaga, 7 p.m., McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, Wash. TV: ESPN2; Radio: 570 — UCLA played Gonzaga twice last season, including the NCAA tournament regional semifinal, and went winless.