March Madness: UCLA advances against tougher-than-expected Kent State
By Stuart Gill
T.J. Leaf scored 23, Lonzo Ball had 15, and the Bruins hit 63 percent of their shots en route to a 97-80 victory over Kent State in the first round of March Madness.
Breaking out to a 16-2 lead in under six minutes, UCLA left no doubt that they would be advancing to face Cincinnati in the Round of 32 on Sunday night.
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They were unstoppable on offense (per usual); they hit half of their 3’s, created plenty of wide-open looks at the rim and turned the ball over just six times. Their starting five accounted for 76 percent of their points and remained in the game up until the final minutes in order to seal the win.
The Bruins do have some concerns, though. Lonzo Ball hit the floor hard late in the first half, and it clearly hindered him throughout the rest of the game. He doesn’t appear to have sustained any major injury, but it is worth monitoring in UCLA’s next game.
Also, UCLA’s defense was non-existent for portions of the evening. Maybe it was just the fact that they broke out to an early lead and got a bit complacent. Or maybe it was because Ike Anigbogu missed the game due to a sprained foot.
Regardless, Kent State’s Jimmy Hall had a terrific individual performance. The senior forward, who averaged 18.9 points and 10.5 rebounds this year, had a double-double with 20 points and 15 boards. Also, guard Jaylin Walker made five treys to total 23 points. The Flashers showed flashes of talent, but ultimately had no answer for the Bruins’ offensive efficiency or their individual weapons. Whenever they put together small runs, UCLA responded with big-time shots.
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UCLA will take on the No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats squad that is coming off a 14-point win against No. 11 Kansas State. Cincinnati finished 30-5, good enough for 2nd place in the American Athletic Conference. Sophomore guard Jacob Evans is their leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game. They haven’t demanded nearly enough media exposure as the nationally-ranked Bruins, but they are a team that knows how to win and very well may give the Bruins a good fight.