Lonzo Ball sets UCLA record for most assists in a single season

Aaron Holiday and Isaac Hamilton finished with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Charles Barkley and LaVar Ball’s war of words continues as the National Basketball Association star vowed to wear UCLA’s opponent’s jerseys until the Bruins lose.

Jaylin Walker scored 23 points for 14th-seeded Kent State (22-14).

UCLA puts up 90.4 points per game, which is tops in the nation.

It was an uneven performance, and a continuation of the weird and somewhat lethargic play from the last few weeks, but UCLA advanced past a scrappy Kent State team on Friday. “I thought they were really good”.

He didn’t mince words when asked why all of a sudden he was showing such strong support for the Golden Flashes.

T.J. Leaf led the Bruins with 16 points.

Of course, the big story coming out of this game will be the health of Lonzo Ball.

“I’m fine”, he said. Kent then had two chances to get it even closer but failed on both opportunities, yet still had the game in range, down eight thanks to the 13-4 run.

Ball was driving for a layup and took a hit that sent him off balance and to the floor.

“It’s different circumstances. It’s different teams”, Alford said. Maybe it was just the fact that they broke out to an early lead and got a bit complacent. We’re not going to be a team that holds teams in the low 60s or 50s or something like that, but this is a smart group of people on this team and when we need stops, we get ’em.

“I don’t even know how old he is – he’s got to be around my age – but no guy who averaged two points a game can beat me at one-on-one”. It was extended to 16-2 as Kent was 1-for-11 shooting leading coach Rob Senderoff to call a timeout.

Ball had 10 first-half points, but didn’t score over the first nine minutes of the second. He was limping after the fall, but stayed in the game and was in the starting lineup in the second half. Ball is a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate, and should be a first-team All-American.

Still, add that to Ike Anigbogu’s sprained foot, and it seems that adversity has made a long-awaited visit to UCLA at the 35-game mark of this ebullient season.

Following their first-ever NCAA tournament game and win against NC Central, the Aggies of UC Davis are headed home.