UCLA Retains Its High Style, Races Past CS Fullerton

Trevor Wilson saw no reason to make special preparations for Saturday night’s game against Cal State Fullerton and Titan forward Cedric Ceballos.

Wilson, after all, is in the midst of his best streak of performances as a Bruin.

And with scouts from eight NBA teams on hand to watch the expected shootout between Ceballos and himself, Wilson had perhaps is best game of the season. He scored 23 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had two assists as UCLA defeated the Titans, 87-75, before 10,217 at Pauley Pavilion.

“We just wanted to come out and play our game style, which is fast-break basketball,” Wilson said.

The Bruins, who shot 53.6% and improved to 6-1, raced to a 51-31 halftime lead behind Wilson, sophomore forward Don MacLean, sophomore point guard Darrick Martin and some abysmal shooting by Fullerton.

“We dug ourselves a hole that was very hard to climb out of,” Fullerton Coach John Sneed said.

Fullerton (5-2) had its poorest shooting performance of the season. The Titans made only eight of 32 shots in the first half and shot 31.4% for the game.

Ceballos, a 6-7 senior, entered the game averaging 24.3 points and 10.8 rebounds. But he made only seven of 24 shots and finished with 18 points after being limited to four in the first half.

“He was trying to get going too quickly, not being patient enough,” Sneed said of Ceballos. “The best defense on Ceballos tonight was himself.”

UCLA also had a big hand in the Titans’ poor shooting. For the fourth time in seven games, the Bruins held their opponent under 40% from the field.

MacLean led the Bruins with 26 points and had seven rebounds. Martin added 18 points and seven assists in what UCLA Coach Jim Harrick described as the sophomore’s best performance of the season.

Despite trailing, 51-31 at halftime, Fullerton closed to within 72-64 with 6:26 to play on two free throws by guard Mark Hill, who led the Titans with 24 points.

Wilson, however, made three free throws, MacLean sank a short jump shot and Martin added a basket and two free throws to help UCLA put the game out of reach.

“In the first half, we played well in all phases,” Harrick said. “We came out in the second half ahead by 20, but I don’t know if we’re mature enough right now to go from 20-up to 30-up.

“You have to be cold-hearted and mature not to let a team back in.”

Fullerton entered the contest coming off an 84-55 loss Monday at Colorado State--the Titans’ worst defeat since the 1987 season, when Nevada Las Vegas beat them by 34 points.

And in the first half against UCLA, Fullerton looked as if it was picking up where it left off in Ft. Collins, Colo. UCLA made 55.6% from the field and took advantage of some obvious Fullerton jitters.

MacLean and Wilson led the Bruin surge with 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the half.

Martin, who had five assists in the half, also had 12 points, including two three-point shots.

Fullerton, which shot 38% against Colorado State, made eight of 32 attempts (25%) in the first half against the Bruins. Six of the Titans’ shots did not draw iron.

Ceballos, who scored a season-low 14 points against Colorado State, made only one of 11 shots in the half and scored four points. He scored a basket on a follow shot with 17:14 left, was on the bench for more than six minutes, and did not get another point until he sank two free throws with 3:46 left.

Fullerton called its first timeout two minutes into the game after UCLA jumped to an 8-2 lead on two baskets and two free throws from MacLean and a basket by Wilson.

The Bruins extended their lead to 19-7 over the next four minutes behind MacLean and Wilson.

Freshman center Tracy Murray, who scored a season-high 20 points Tuesday against American University, came off the bench against Fullerton with 13:04 left in the half and scored nine points over the next 11 minutes as UCLA opened a 46-27 lead.

Martin closed out the half by sinking a three-point shot from the top of the key with 23 seconds left that gave the Bruins their biggest lead of the game.

The victory over Fullerton makes the Bruins 3-0 against the Titans with all the victories coming at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA defeated Fullerton, 72-71, during the 1986-87 season and by 74-65 in 1987-88.