Everyone else may consider UCLA’s first exhibition contest Tuesday in Spain a game that means something, but Bruins head coach Mick Cronin considered it nothing more than a “glorified scrimmage.”
Freshman combo guard Sebastian Mack scored 17 points to tie for game-high honors and Utah transfer Lazar Stefanovic collected a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds to lead UCLA to a 76-68 win over the Madrid All-Stars at Canal de Isabel II Sports Complex.
Point guard Dylan Andrews added 12 points and freshman forward Devin Williams chipped in 14 off the bench for the Bruins, who shot just 38.6% while playing without sophomore Adem Bona and freshmen Aday Mara and Berke Büyüktuncel.
Bona is still limited to individual drills in practice after suffering a shoulder injury in the postseason, while Mara and Büyüktuncel have yet to join the team.
As a result, Cronin said he went with as many as three point guards and, at times, four guards on the floor at once.
Despite being shorthanded, UCLA still had the rebounding advantage, 39-38.
“We’re trying to play everybody,” Cronin said in a release.
“I know that people think that these are games and that they matter, but they don't.”
The game was played under FIBA rules, with four 10-minute quarters. Tied 35-35 at the half, the Bruins outscored Madrid 23-14 in the third and led by as many as 13 early in the fourth.
Among the questions coming into the season was how the Bruins would replace sixth man and 3-point specialist David Singleton, who finished among the top five in the program’s all-time list in 3-point accuracy.
Stefanovic’s addition is expected to help fill the void. While he finished 6 of 12 from the field, the junior missed all four of his 3-point attempts and the team was just 2 of 18 beyond the arc.
Still, Cronin said he was pleased with what he saw from Stefanovic, who added three steals and was the only player to log more than 30 minutes.
"Yeah, you can see how important Lazar Stefanovic is for us," Cronin said. "He had 13 rebounds. He has such high efficiency and finished the game with 10 deflections. He never gets tired. That's why coaches love experience."
Among the plethora of inexperienced players on the roster, Mack was 7 of 13 from the field in a strong debut.
"Being out here and experiencing something like this is great," Mack said in the release. "We compete a lot in practice, but you always want to see some different faces and show our toughness. I feel like we did a good job of that today. I feel like this year, it's going to be fun. We've just got to keep working hard and focusing on what coach is saying."
Defensively, UCLA limited Madrid to 21-of-56 shooting, but the All-Stars were sent to the free-throw line 32 times. However, Madrid converted just 62% at the stripe.
Still, Cronin said the experience of scrimmaging against someone other than their own teammates was beneficial for his players.
“We are trying to get better and take advantage of practicing against another team,” Cronin said.
The Bruins’ next contest in the three-game tour will be Thursday against professional team Valencia Basket. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. in Spain (11 a.m. Pacific Time).
