Kusturica's 26 First-Half Points Lead UCLA's 51-Point Rout of North Florida

UCLA forward Nikola Kusturica scored 29 points in a 114-63 victory over North Florida on Friday night. The performance helped the Bruins maintain their position at No. 14 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings.

Kusturica, who is 17 years old, played for just 23 minutes. He finished with six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal while recording no turnovers. He made 10 of his 12 shot attempts, including four of four three-pointers.

Most of his scoring occurred in the first half. Kusturica scored 26 points before intermission while shooting 9 for 9 from the field. The Bruins also ran a 35-0 streak during that period.

Head coach Mick Cronin credited the team's recruiting efforts for the performance. "No, in all seriousness . it's recruiting, buddy. It's recruiting. He's a great player. A great player. Not a good player. He's a great player because he does everything on the court," Cronin said.

Cronin noted the lack of turnovers as a rare trait for a freshman. "He had no turnovers with the ball in his hands all that time, Nikola. Which is, for a freshman, unheard of. It's just unheard of," the coach stated.

The result improved Kusturica's season averages to 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He is averaging 31.0 minutes per game and shooting 56.5% from the field. The Serbian forward is projected as a top-three pick in the 2028 NBA Draft.

UCLA will play Arkansas Pine Bluff on Wednesday. The Bruins are expected to face No. 6 Texas in the Rady Children's Invitational championship game the day after Thanksgiving.