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ONTARIO – When the Coyotes' men's basketball team stepped off the Citizens Business Bank Arena court Sunday afternoon, the scoreboard may have favored No. 17 UCLA by a score of 80-72, but you would be hard-pressed to find any sort of disappointment in its outcome against one of the most storied programs in basketball history.

And though the game was an exhibition, the 6,259 fans in attendance were rewarded with a performance that Coyotes head coach Jeff Oliver hopes will carry over into a successful 2011-12 season when the games are for real, starting Friday night against Westmont at Coussoulis Arena.

“I was proud of our guys,'' Oliver said. “We played hard and we stuck to our game plan. They're a load on the glass and they made their free throws.''

UCLA held the edge over the Coyotes 33-15 at the free throw line, but CSUSB finished with a higher field-goal percentage, hitting 44.4 percent from the field on 24 of 54 shooting. In fact, the Coyotes fired 52 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes.

Senior Theron Laudermill led the Coyotes with 16 points, six rebounds and fellow senior D.J. Shumpert added 14 points, seven rebounds and a game-high five blocks.

The Coyotes, who trailed by only eight twice in the first half, were not deterred the entire game. After UCLA earned its largest lead of the game at 56-45 with 11:41 remaining, CSUSB was at its best over the next four minutes.
Shumpert's three-pointer with 10:51 left began a 12-0 run and he ended the run with another three and CSUSB led 57-56 with 8:25 left.

UCLA's Joshua Smith ended the run with a pair of free throws, but Coyotes' reserve Johnny Bell drained a three from the deep left corner that put CSUSB up 60-58 with 7:33 left.

But over the next three minutes, UCLA strung a 12-1 run with two three-pointers from Reeves Nelson and David Wear highlighting the run that gave the Bruins a 70-61 lead with 4:32 left.

Smith scored a game-high 26 points and hit 14 of 18 free throws. Nelson added 16 and Travis Wear and Lazeric Jones each had 10.

“I thought (CSUSB) really was a good test for us,'' Bruins coach Ben Howland said. “In the first half, our field goal percentage defense was good. In the second half, they shot better than we did and we gave up too many open looks. When they got the lead, we did a good job of fighting back.

“They shot 52 percent in the second half; give them credit. They did a good job.''

Though the game was billed as a home game for the Bruins, the majority of the crowd was pulling for CSUSB. Oliver was quick to give notice at something he hadn't observed in his first nine years as head coach.

“I thought it was a great atmosphere today,'' he said. “When we first got the lead in the second half and Smith went to the line, I noticed our students in the upper deck were fired up and making noise. I really hope that carries over to our regular season. I haven't seen anything with that kind of buzz in my 10 years, with the exception of our Final Four season (2007).

Outside shooting was key for CSUSB as the Coyotes were 9 of 23 on three-pointers with Shumpert draining three and Laudermill and senior Tre' Brewer each with two. All told, five different players hit from 3-point land.

CSUSB opens the regular season Friday at home against Westmont. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff, and will follow the Coyotes' second-ranked volleyball team that takes on Cal State Monterey Bay at 5 p.m.