Men’s Basketball Concludes Tour in Spain With Loss in Girona

Men's Basketball August 29, 2023

GIRONA, Spain – With a return to Los Angeles set for Wednesday evening, the UCLA men's basketball team closed its nine-day trip to Spain with a loss to Bàsquet Girona in a scrimmage contest at Pavelló Girona-Fontajau. In accordance with league regulations, UCLA agreed not to make public the game's final score or statistics for Bàsquet Girona's team, as Tuesday's contest was a closed scrimmage for the Spanish professional team. Fewer than 30 individuals from UCLA's travel party observed the game from the stands. Tickets were not available to the public. Bàsquet Girona competes in Liga Endesa (also known as Liga ACB), which is Spain's top professional basketball division. Girona's squad includes multiple players who previously attended universities in the United States, including former UCLA forward G.G. Goloman. A four-year player in Westwood, Goloman spent last season playing professionally in Lithuania before signing with Bàsquet Girona in Spain earlier this month. Nine UCLA players scored in the exhibition contest on Tuesday. Sophomore Dylan Andrews led the Bruins with 17 points, connecting on 6 of 14 shots from the field. Junior Lazar Stefanovic and freshman Sebastian Mack each scored 12 points, while Will McClendon finished the contest with nine points. "It was a great practice for us," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "Our guys learned how good ACB league players are in Spain. That's why I wanted to play an ACB team. Too many young guys think that pro basketball is easy. They got a taste of pro basketball tonight and it was great for us in a lot of ways – individually, for the guys to learn that and collectively, to play somebody that's much better than you." The Bruins were playing without sophomore Adem Bona and freshman Jan Vide, who turned his right ankle in the second half of UCLA's game in Valencia on Thursday. Tuesday's game against Bàsquet Girona marked the Bruins' first game since an exhibition win in Valencia last Thursday. The Bruins traveled by bus from Valencia to Barcelona on Sunday afternoon and did not practice during the stay in Spain. "I would have liked to play them with Jan Vide and some other guys because we were just too tired," Coach Cronin said. "I led these guys to the wolves, so to speak, by not practicing for the last three days, so we were out of shape. But it was still just a tremendous experience." Andrews, Stefanovic, Mack, Ilane Fibleuil and Kenneth Nwuba served as the Bruins' starting five on Tuesday night. Freshman Devin Williams led UCLA with seven rebounds off the bench. Williams also finished with six points and one blocked shot. UCLA finished its nine-day stay in Spain with a 2-1 record on the court. The Bruins defeated the Madrid All-Stars, 76-68, on Tuesday (Aug. 22) and took down L'Horta Godella by an 85-66 margin last Thursday (Aug. 24). The Bruins' will open their 2023-24 regular-season schedule in Los Angeles against Saint Francis on Monday, Nov. 6, after hosting one exhibition game versus Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday, Oct. 31. The Bruins' first three home contests will take place against Saint Francis (Nov. 6), Lafayette (Nov. 10) and LIU (Nov. 15).

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