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LOS ANGELES – Chris Smith nabbed a defensive rebound and looked up at the game clock. Just a couple seconds remained before the halftime buzzer. He took one big dribble and heaved a shot from UCLA’s own free throw line.
Why not? Everything else was going in.
The shot hit off the front of the rim – it was close – but the score in Sunday night’s Pac-12 opener was not. UCLA took down Cal 76-56 to extend its winning streak over the Golden Bears to seven in a row, and keep Cal winless in Pauley Pavilion since 2010.
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UCLA guard Chris Smith, right, shoots a 3-point basket over Cal guard Matt Bradley during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA guard Tyger Campbell goes up for a basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Cal, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA guard Chris Smith (5) dunks during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Cal on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., left, saves the ball from going out of bounds as Cal forward Lars Thiemann defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA forward Jalen Hill, top, slams a dunk during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against California, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA guard Chris Smith, left, celebrates his 3-point basket as Cal forward Andre Kelly looks away during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA guard Chris Smith, right, goes up for a basket past California guard Matt Bradley during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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Cal forward Lars Thiemann, center, slams a dunk past UCLA guard Jake Kyman, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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Cal guard Matt Bradley, right, goes up for a basket over UCLA forward Jalen Hill during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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Cal guard Makale Foreman, right, shoots a three-point basket over UCLA guard David Singleton during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA forward Jalen Hill, center, reacts after Cal forward Grant Anticevich, left, drew an offensive foul during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA head coach Mick Cronin yells instructions to his players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against California, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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Cal guard Matt Bradley, right, goes up for a basket over UCLA forward Jalen Hill during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA guard Jake Kyman, left, and guard Jules Bernard, right, defend against a shot by Cal forward Andre Kelly (22) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA guard Tyger Campbell, center, shoots a floater over Cal forward Dimitrios Klonaras during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA guard Chris Smith, front left, goes up for a basket over California guard Makale Foreman during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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UCLA guard Chris Smith goes up for a basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against California, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
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Cal head coach Mark Fox gives instructions to his players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Tyger Campbell notched his third career double-double with 11 points, 12 assists and just one turnover in 29 minutes. Chris Smith scored 21 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 12.
At halftime, the Bruins (3-1) were leading 40-22, shooting 70% from the field and looked like a team that could do no wrong.
“The most meaningless stat in a game is the halftime score,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “We knew Cal wasn’t going to quit. We talked about strategy and limiting turnovers.”
UCLA had eight turnovers in the first half and just three in the second.
If Cal (2-3) was in zone defense, UCLA would work the ball inside out and make a 3. If Cal was in a man defense, a Bruin would beat a defender off the dribble.
UCLA was 6 for 8 from beyond the arc in the first half. Smith and David Singleton each had three 3s.
“I’ve really been working on having my body ready to shoot,” said Singleton, who finished with 11 points, including three 3s.
Chris Smith has a pair of early3⃣s and UCLA leads Cal 10-7 at the first break.
: @Pac12Network
: https://t.co/scgQyXADna#GoBruins | #Pac12Hoops pic.twitter.com/YjvHWl6cKJ
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) December 7, 2020
It was part of a 24-5 run that served as an early knockout punch. At every turn, another Bruin was scoring. A Jalen Hill dunk. A Jake Kyman jump shot. Jaquez and Campbell were driving to the rim for layups.
“We knew (Cal) was going to play zone,” Campbell said. “Coach Cronin prepared us well for that.”
The UCLA defense was relentless, holding Cal to just 38% from the field in the opening half. That defense held up for the game. Golden Bears shot just 45% for the game and attempted just five free throws.
“The defense was great,” Cronin said. “But (what) was more impressive was Cal having just three offensive rebounds on 27 misses.”
Campbell and Hill connected on three alley-oops in the opening five minutes of the second half. Campbell either scored or assisted on 16 of UCLA’s first 24 points in the second half.
“(Jalen) set really good screens and rolled hard,” Campbell said. “The plays were easy to make at that point.”
The @tygercampbell15
@KingJ_Hill connection is on
right now.
UCLA leads Cal by 16 at the 12:47 mark of the second half.
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) December 7, 2020
Anytime Cal seemed to scratch its way into striking distance, UCLA had a response.
A Matt Bradley 3-pointer brought Cal to within 54-40 with just under 12 minutes to play, but Smith converted on a three-point play to balloon the lead back to 17. Cal brought it to within 59-47 around the nine-minute mark, but Campbell delivered a three-point play of his own on the ensuing possession.
Cal had a 7-2 run late in the second half, but Jaquez hit back-to-back 3s to give UCLA a 72-54 lead with 2:35 left in the game.
“We wanted to get stops, that’s something we take pride in,” Smith said. “But it’s important to score, too. We had an emphasis on spacing tonight and it made the offense better.”
Bradley, Cal’s leading scorer (19.5 points per game), was held to just 12 points.
UCLA will play the fourth of its five-game home stand on Wednesday, Dec. 9 against the University of San Diego at 6 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network. It will be San Diego’s season opener after the Husky Classic was canceled due to COVID-19.
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