The UCLA men’s basketball team will look to close out November with another early-season victory when it hosts UC Riverside on Thursday.
Here’s what you need to know about the nonconference matchup:
UCLA VS. UC RIVERSIDE
When: Thursday, 8 p.m.
Where: Pauley Pavilion
TV/Radio: Pac-12 Network/1150 AM
Records: UCLA is 4-2; UC Riverside is 3-4
UCLA’s latest result: The Bruins went 1-2 last week at the Maui Invitation in Honolulu, most recently losing to No. 11 Gonzaga, 69-65, on Nov. 22. Junior guard Lazar Stefanovic (Utah transfer) and freshman guard Sebastian Mack (Pac-12 Freshman of the Week) both had a team-high 16 points against Gonzaga. Stefanovic and freshman guard Ilane Fibleuil each had a team-high eight rebounds. In the four-point loss to Gonzaga, UCLA shot 35.2% from the field (19 for 54) and 28.6% from behind the arc (4 for 14). The Bruins shot 74.2% from the free-throw line (23 for 31).
UC Riverside’s latest result: UCR, from the Big West Conference, is coming off a 109-63 win against Bethesda University of Anaheim. Junior center Benjamin Griscti scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Highlanders in the team’s 46-point win against a National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) opponent. Griscti, who is 6-foot-11, is one of three starters, along with guards Barrington Hargress and Isaiah Moses who are averaging 10 or more points per game this season.
Matchup to watch: Freshman guard Ilane Fibleuil, who is from Massy, France, only played 18 minutes against Gonzaga but made an instant impact with six points, eight rebounds, two blocked shots and most importantly high-quality defense that drew praise from UCLA associate head coach Darren Savino.
“What you saw him do out there is kind of what we know that he can bring to the table,” Savino said. “He just had an opportunity to do it and he actually did it in a real game so if anything, I hope it gives confidence that the things we’ve been telling him that…
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