UCLA Basketball: 2 New Starters To Play With Injuries Through End Of Season

They have good days and bad days.

Two of UCLA's leading scorers will be playing hurt through the end of the season.

Head coach Mick Cronin told reporters after the Bruins beat Colorado 64-60 on Thursday night that Sebastian Mack was still playing with a lingering toe injury and Lazar Stefanovic is battling a foot issue.

Mack led all scorers with 19 points, and Stefanovic added six.

“He [Sebastian Mack] went 7-for-11, 5-for-7. When you get 19 on 11 shots, that’s pretty strong. And he’s still playing hurt. He and Lazar are playing hurt the rest of the year. When you’ve got the toe injury that Sebastian has – he has good days and bad. As soon as it feels good, someone steps on it, you jump stop or something happens. Lazar didn’t practice hardly at all this week because of his foot. He hasn’t practiced much, but he really sat out a lot this week, and it really hurt his rhythm. But Sebastian was tremendous on the offensive end tonight.”

Mick Cronin via UCLA Athletics

“I still think we’ve got to get better on offense so we can get away from people, but obviously a great win for us. We forced 14 turnovers, nine in the first half. That was big.”

Coach Cronin, after UCLA’s win against Colorado on Thursday pic.twitter.com/1ApqQarbRQ

— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) February 16, 2024

Neither Mack nor Stefanovic was limited in minutes. The obvious difference was Stefanovic's lack of offensive production. It was his first game in single digits since Jan. 11 against Utah. 

Through the last nine games, Stefanovic has led the Bruins with 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Mack has chipped in 12.8 points per game.

The Bruins face the Utah Utes on Sunday afternoon. A team that they lost 90-44 to in January. 

Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. PST.