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.
The 17-year-old freshman from Serbia shot nine of nine from the floor, four for four from three-point range and hit all four of his free throws as the Bruins turned a one-point deficit into a 52-20 halftime lead.
UCLA ran off 35 straight points, starting with Kusturica’s three consecutive three-pointers and ending with his two free throws. In between, the 6-foot-9 swingman slammed down a pair of one-handed dunks as the student section chanted “MVP! MVP!”
The Bruins’ first-half spurt was the second-longest unanswered run in Division I play since the start of the 2018-19 season.
Kusturica finally missed on a three-point attempt in the opening minutes of the second half. Brandon Williams grabbed the offensive rebound and scored anyway.
The Bruins kept up their offensive spree after halftime. They opened on a 17-4 run, including 11 in a row, for a 69-24 lead, with Kusturica dunking and hitting a free throw after being fouled.
He sat down for good with 12:46 remaining. Kusturica finished with six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, one steal and no turnovers in 23 minutes.
Four other Bruins were in double figures: Jaylen Petty scored 22 points, Joe Philon III had 17, and Trent Perry and Eric Dailey Jr. added 11 each.
The Bruins (2-0) were coming off a nine-point win over No. 5 Arizona in Las Vegas to open the season. Kusturica had 10 points, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals in his collegiate debut.
North Florida (1-1) made it a game in the opening minutes after falling behind by seven points. They outscored the Bruins 13-5, including eight in a row, to lead 18-17.
The Ospreys were led by Kent Jackson with 11 points.
Up next for UCLA: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Wednesday in the second of five straight home games.
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