Kusturica’s flawless first half sparks No. 22 UCLA’s 114-63 rout of North Florida
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nikola Kusturica scored 26 of his 29 points in the first half on perfect shooting, and No. 22 UCLA routed North Florida 114-63 in its home opener Friday night.
Nikola Kusturica, a 17-year-old freshman from Serbia, led No. 22 UCLA to a dominant 114-63 victory over North Florida in their home opener. The freshman shot an incredible 9 of 9 from the floor, including 4 of 4 from three-point range and hitting every one of his four free throws. Kusturica's flawless first-half performance was the second-longest unanswered run in Division I play since the 2018-19 season.
He scored 26 points in the opening half, including 9 straight 3-pointers and two free throws. Kusturica ended the first quarter with 26 points and finished the game with 29 points, grabbing six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal in 23 minutes of playing time. The Bruins capitalized on their one-point halftime lead, running off 35 straight points to build a 52-20 lead.
Brandon Williams scored on an offensive rebound, but after the break, Kusturica scored three consecutive dunks to cement the win. Jaylen Petty, Joe Philon III, Trent Perry, and Eric Dailey Jr. contributed double figures in points. North Florida, led by Kent Jackson with 11 points, came into the game trailing by seven points and managed to outscore the Bruins 13-5 in the opening minutes.
The Ospreys will face No. 14 Miami on Monday, while UCLA hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Wednesday as part of their five consecutive home games.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Kusturica’s flawless first half sparks No. 22 UCLA’s 114-63 rout of North Florida winnipegfreepress.com
