The education of the UCLA Bruins started in earnest Sunday evening. The lessons were jarring.
Not every game is going to be a romp. Not every three-pointer is going to go in the basket. Not every referee is going to be forgiving.
Reality seemed to take hold at halftime, giving the No. 16 Bruins enough time to recover for a 102-87 victory over Cal State Northridge at Pauley Pavilion.
After a maddening first half in which their shots wouldn’t fall, nearly half their roster was in foul trouble and they wilted under the Matadors’ relentless pressure, the Bruins refamiliarized themselves with the basket by attacking it.