LOS ANGELES — In case UCLA was tempted to linger in the giddy afterglow of its biggest victory of the season, another setback brought some unease before tipoff Thursday.
Leading scorer Johnny Juzang, one of only three players to avoid being placed in COVID-19 protocols last month, added his name to the tally. Further thinning the team’s depth, top defender Jaylen Clark was sidelined for a second consecutive game while stuck in concussion protocol.
Playing shorthanded has become the norm for the Bruins. Their opening-night starting lineup has appeared only seven times because of injuries and illnesses.
Fortunately for UCLA, another pattern has emerged: it continues to persevere no matter who’s in or out.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin plugged David Singleton into his starting lineup for the first time this season and the seventh-ranked Bruins rolled along smoothly during an 81-57 victory over California at Pauley Pavilion for their fifth consecutive triumph.
Two nights after razing Arizona on national television before a nearly packed arena, UCLA put in far more unglamorous work in front of a smallish crowd. It counted just the same in the Pac-12 standings, where the Bruins (15-2 overall, 7-1 Pac-12) moved into sole possession of first place.
The drama didn’t even make it to halftime. Sparked by Jules Bernard’s back-to-back three-pointers, UCLA used a 25-9 spurt after falling behind by one point in the early going to seize control. Singleton was a factor from the opening moments, coming up with a steal on Cal’s first possession and burying a three-pointer for the game’s first points.
Guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 15 points and forward Cody Riley added 14 for the Bruins, who shot 52.6% and were never threatened after taking a 43-29 halftime lead.
Juzang will presumably miss the Bruins’ game against Stanford on Saturday while stuck in isolation but his status for UCLA’s rematch against Arizona next week in Tucson was not immediately known.
Clark’s availability is also unclear going forward. He was sidelined before the season by a concussion, giving the team’s medical staff extra reason to be cautious with his return. Cronin also has a history of being conservative with his players to safeguard their health.
Sam Alajiki scored 11 points as the only player in double figures for Cal (9-11, 2-7), whose slide toward the bottom of the conference standings continues. The Golden Bears made just six of 21 three-pointers (28.6%) on the way to their sixth loss in a row and 10th consecutive setback in the series against UCLA.
With their depth depleted, the Bruins gave extra minutes to backups Peyton Watson and Jake Kyman. Both players made the most of the opportunity, Kyman scoring a season-high 10 points and Watson using his long arms to corral a lob from Kyman that initially appeared too high and lay it into the basket on the way to 12 points.
Reserve Russell Stong added one final highlight, hoisting his first shot of the season in the final seconds. It was a three-pointer that dropped through the net, sending the crowd and his towel-flapping teammates into a frenzy as Stong held up three fingers while retreating on defense.
