Bruins clean up nicely

There were some messy parts to UCLA’s 83-52 win over Youngstown State on Monday night at Pauley Pavilion.

The 16 turnovers, the 0-for-4 free-throw shooting by guard Russell Westbrook and the eight-foot airball foul shot from ever-optimistic Lorenzo Mata-Real, who absolutely insists he makes most of them in practice -- they all drew sounds of agony from the crowd of 7,695.

But tidiness isn’t expected from Coach Ben Howland’s team so early in the season, and he does have freshman center Kevin Love to pick up after the mistakes.

Love had 21 points and nine rebounds as the second-ranked Bruins (2-0) advanced to the second round of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic at Pauley Pavilion.

Tonight they will play NCAA Division II Cal State San Bernardino, which upset Weber State, 71-59. Weber State lost to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA tournament in March.

The Bruins overpowered Youngstown State (0-1) with their inside combination of Love and 6-foot-9 senior Mata-Real, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Mata-Real is quickly working himself into shape after missing the first week of preseason practice because of a sprained foot.

Mata-Real, who started on last season’s Final Four team, is coming off the bench now that Love has arrived. That hasn’t affected his sunny outlook or his energy. Thirty-one seconds after he came into the game Mata-Real scored on a dunk, making a sure-handed catch of a Josh Shipp pass and jumping straight up without hesitation. But one of his two made free throws (in five attempts) was banked in.

“As long as it went in it doesn’t matter,” Mata said.

Howland said Mata-Real and Love haven’t practiced on the same team yet because of injuries that have kept James Keefe and Michael Roll sidelined.

“We’re battling against each other in practice every day,” Love said.

“It’s good,” Mata-Real said. “It makes me want to get all the rebounds against each other.”

Howland was also pleased with his team’s defense. The Penguins were 20 for 51 from the field, 39.2%.

“Held another team under 40%,” Howland said.

He also praised Westbrook’s improvement from Friday’s season opener, when he had more turnovers (six) than assists (five). “I’m really pleased with Westbrook’s numbers,” Howland said. “Nine assists and only three turnovers.”

Love’s skill and strength were evident on a basket he scored early in the second half while he was triple teamed. Two pump fakes and a small shake of his shoulders opened up the space Love needed.

His determination was evident a little later when Penguins forward Jack Liles, a 6-7, 240-pound junior, twice blocked Love’s shot. Love got both of the rebounds and finally scored a layup. Liles shook his head as the teams headed back up the court.

Though he was held back in the first half by committing two quick fouls, junior Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scored UCLA’s first basket on a jump shot and finished with nine points and three assists. “Luc had a very good second half,” Howland said.

UCLA led, 44-29, at halftime. Love, who had double-doubles in both of UCLA’s exhibition games and the regular-season opener, had 12 points and four rebounds in the first half. Mata-Real and Shipp each had nine points and Mata-Real had 11 rebounds during an otherwise sloppy half in which UCLA led by as many as 17 points but had 11 turnovers.

Point guard Darren Collison, recovering from a sprained left knee, again remained in street clothes and sophomore Westbrook started at point guard. Shipp, who had held Portland State’s top scorer Dupree Lucas without a point Friday, had a harder time trying to stop Youngstown State senior Byron Davis, who scored his team’s first seven points and had 10 by halftime.

Howland said he thinks Cal State San Bernardino will be a good test tonight for UCLA. “We’re playing a team that is much different,” he said. “They will press us 40 minutes, they even press on missed shots.”

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diane.pucin@latimes.com

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UP NEXT FOR UCLA

UCLA vs. Cal State San Bernardino, 7:30 tonight, ESPN2 -- The plan was that the second-ranked Bruins would get a rematch of last year’s first-round NCAA tournament game against Weber State, but the NCAA Division II semifinalist Coyotes upset the Wildcats, 71-59. The winner advances to the tournament semifinals in Kansas City next Monday to play Maryland.

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TONIGHT’S GAME

UCLA vs. CS San Bernardino

at Pauley Pavilion, 7:30, ESPN2