LOS ANGELES — Sebastian Mack’s first three shot attempts might have reminded head coach Mick Cronin of the freshman version of his sixth man, a spry shoot-first guard who rarely responded to his leash. It was a loose one, since that UCLA men’s basketball team desperately needed Mack’s offense. Now in his sophomore year, Mack understands the reasons for those constraints.
He’s matured from that sporadic Wile E. Coyote, to adopt Barry Allen, Flash-like concerted energy bursts.
Cronin and his staff challenged Mack to improve his decision-making in the offseason and he has responded. On Tuesday, his calculated aggressiveness dictated the second half as the Bruins beat Washington, 69-58, in the first Big Ten game for both teams.
He got a foot in the paint on the majority of his drives, keeping his head up to create opportunities for himself and others. He earned seven trips to the free-throw line and knocked down a 3-pointer that gave the Bruins an 11-point lead with 4:13 left.
More impressive than that, he didn’t force the action, and two minutes later swung a pass to Dylan Andrews for the dagger.
Mack came off the bench to score 16 points on 4-of-12 shooting, while Tyler Bilodeau matched that mark while going 6 for 8 from the field. Andrews added 12 points, and made four of his last six shots after a cold start.
Washington (6-2 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) began the game in a 1-3-1 zone that left space at each elbow for mid-range jumpers, but the Bruins (7-1, 1-0) struggled to connect, going 1 for 9 on those opportunities in the first half. They made up for it when they took advantage of that soft spot at the high post with their high-low offense. Eric Dailey Jr., especially, saw the floor, assisting on each of Bilodeau’s first three baskets and finding Lazar Stefanovic for a 3-pointer in the corner.
The Huskies’ zone, which left a lone big in the paint, allowed the Bruins to feed off the offensive glass. Aday Mara checked in and immediately slammed home an Andrews’ miss. The Bruins grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, converting them into nine second-chance points. A second putback from Mara, along with two jump shots from Stefanovic, gave UCLA its first double-digit lead.
Washington adjusted, switching into a man-to-man defense. The Bruins missed their next five field-goal attempts after that change as the Huskies cut the margin to 23-21.
UCLA didn’t generate as many turnovers as it had been but it played stout perimeter defense and protected the defensive glass. The Huskies shot 19 for 49 (38.8%) and just 3 for 16 from deep.
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Mack was the first Bruin to embrace the Huskies’ defensive switch and the Bruins began to run their offense through him, calling on sets that allowed him to catch the ball on the perimeter and operate out of isolation. He got a step on his defender, keeping his head up to create opportunities for himself and others. It slowed down the pace of the game, the clock containing the Huskies just as well as the Bruins’ defense.
After starting 1 for 6 and getting pulled early in the second half for a half-hearted pass that was picked off, Andrews rediscovered his confidence. He returned shortly after and got to his preferred spot at the left elbow for a pair of jumpers. With 9:06 remaining, he hit a 3-point jumper from a few feet beyond that elbow that extended the Bruins’ lead back to 11.
Then he rewarded Mack’s trust with the game-sealing 3-pointer.
The Bruins had just 28 deflections and missed 11 free throws, but they pulled out a win in their conference opener. The Bruins will take on 12th-ranked Oregon (8-0, 0-0) on Sunday at 3 p.m.
More to come on this story.