UCLA wins but takes a beating: Love, Aboya hurt

After withstanding pounding and pummeling from a quartet of rough, tough Michigan State forwards and centers, UCLA freshman center Kevin Love left the court against Yale on Friday night barefoot and limping on an injured left ankle.

In the first half, forward Alfred Aboya had left the building after getting a basketball facial that left him with blurred vision and a possible fracture of the orbital bone under his right eye. This wasn’t the pleasant schedule interlude it seemed.

While the second-ranked Bruins recorded an 81-47 win over Yale (1-3) at Pauley Pavilion in front of 10,420, it is the medical aftermath that will matter much more than the victory for undefeated UCLA (6-0).

Aboya was injured with 7:37 left in the first half. He was smashed in the face with the basketball as he wrestled Yale forward Nick Holmes for a rebound. He left the game and was taken to UCLA Medical Center for X-rays. Preliminary results indicated a right orbital fracture.

“The official told me Alfred went for the ball and turned himself into it,” UCLA Coach Ben Howland said. “He didn’t think it was a foul. I’m really frustrated by the injury. If there’s a lot of displacement he could be out for a month, month and a half. If it’s just a fracture he’ll definitely be in a mask.”

Love’s injury also seemed serious at first.

While he was fending off three Bulldogs for an offensive rebound, Love’s left ankle twisted with 7 minutes 58 seconds left in the game. Love slid himself off the court rather than walking. “I felt a couple of pops,” Love said. Howland turned his back on the game for a moment, standing over his prized rookie center.

As Love untied his shoe and took it off, trainer Carrie Rubertino ripped off the tape. A moment later a barefoot Love limped off the court.

Four minutes after that Love walked back to the bench as the crowd cheered. Howland said Love wanted to go back in the game. That wasn’t happening.

Love said he had never sprained an ankle or a foot before.

“It shocked me a little bit,” Love said. “When I put a little weight on it, it didn’t feel good. But I’ll go to the training room tomorrow, get some treatment and I’ll be fine.”

The injury happened when Love was attempting to follow up a missed shot by Josh Shipp.

“Josh went for the layup,” Love said, “and I went for the tip dunk. A Yale guy slid under me to box me out and my ankle turned out. It stung a little bit and right now it’s a little sore.”

It’s not surprising, Love said, that the Bruins would take a beating.

“We’re such a physical team, it’s bound to happen,” he said. “But once we get all our players back, watch out.”

When that will happen is an unanswered question. Preseason All-American point guard Darren Collison (knee), swingman Michael Roll (foot) and forward James Keefe (shoulder) haven’t played a regular-season game. For the second time in a row Howland gave a cryptic “I don’t know” when asked when Collison might be back.

Love hurt himself not more than a minute or two after he had brought the Pauley crowd alive with a court-length outlet pass to Shipp, who gently dropped in a layup. As he ran back up the court, Shipp nodded and smiled at Love and Love pumped his fist, but just a little.

Overlooked in the physical carnage were the 14 points and 10 rebounds from forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and the 12 rebounds from senior Lorenzo Mata-Real.

“It was a nice win,” a downcast Howland said afterward. “But it’s tempered by the fact Alfred got hurt. That’s my biggest concern.”

The Bruins broke open the game with a 19-1 run to end the first half and a 16-4 burst at the start of the second half. Yale had tied the score at 17 on a three-pointer by Alex Zampier.

The UCLA breakout started with a Love jump shot and it included three-pointers by Shipp and freshman Chace Stanback and a steal-and-dunk by Russell Westbrook. The spurt put the Bruins ahead, 33-18, at halftime. The game result was assured. But it wasn’t the box score that mattered. Only the X-rays.

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diane.pucin@latimes.com

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UP NEXT FOR UCLA

George Washington, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Pauley Pavilion, FSN Prime Ticket -- Under Coach Karl Hobbs the Colonials (2-0) have been the class of the Atlantic 10 Conference over the last four seasons though they were picked to finish only seventh this season. Senior guard Maureece Rice is the leading returning scorer, averaging 16.2 points a game last season, and 6-8 junior forward Rob Diggs had 60 blocked shots.

-- Diane Pucin