Only a handful of students showed up for the roll call Tuesday night, Thanksgiving week draining the usual pregame pep inside Pauley Pavilion.
The place wouldn’t stay quiet for long.
UCLA point guard Dylan Andrews collected the opening jump ball with a firm hand slap that could be heard in the upper reaches of the arena. He scored on the game’s opening possession after taking a pass from Kobe Johnson underneath the basket for a layup.
On the other end of the court, the Bruins forced a Southern Utah turnover when Skyy Clark dove onto the court for a steal, clapping in celebration after the Thunderbirds compounded their mistake with a foul.