UCLA 77, CSUN 45: Steve Alford

After a 77-45 win over Cal State Northridge, UCLA head coach Steve Alford said he saw growth in his Bruins — stressing that the game was a step forward for a team that had fallen to .500 before Thanksgiving.

“Hopefully,” he said, “we can gain a little bit of confidence going into what’s going to be a really big week with Kentucky and Long Beach State.”