FACTS & STATS: Site: Pauley Pavilion (12,800) -- Los Angeles, California. Television: None. Home Record: Sam Houston St. 3-0, UCLA 5-0. Away Record: Sam Houston St. 1-4, UCLA 0-0. Neutral Record: Sam Houston St. 2-0, UCLA 4-0. Conference Record: Sam Houston St. 0-0, UCLA 0-0. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: The top-ranked UCLA Bruins seek their 10th straight win to start the 2006-07 season, as they welcome the Sam Houston State Bearkats to Pauley Pavilion this evening. Ben Howland's troops went to the Final Four a season ago and in the early stages of this year, look the part of a national title contender again, winning nine straight games out of the gate. The team kept its flawless streak intact with Saturday's 74-53 rout of Oakland. Following this matchup, UCLA will host Michigan on Saturday, before opening up Pac-10 play against Washington State next week. The Bearkats have been one of the better programs in the Southland Conference recently. The team is currently 6-4 on the season, although it enters this matchup following a bitter 70-62 overtime loss at UC Irvine on Saturday. This is the first-ever meeting between these two teams on the hardwood.

The Bearkats took the Anteaters into overtime on the road this past weekend, but went cold in the extra stanza, hitting just 2-of-11 shots and falling to UC Irvine, 70-62. JeJuan Plair led the way offensively, posting 16 points and was joined in double figures by Jeremy Thomas, who came off the bench to tally 10 points. The fact that Sam Houston State even got to overtime was an achievement considering the team shot just .278 from the floor in the game and got abused on the boards, 53-39. The Bearkats turned the ball over just 10 times in the game, but got outscored in the paint, 30-12. The Bearkats are a much more potent offensive squad than the one that took the floor against the Anteaters. The team is averaging a solid 77.5 ppg, with three players boasting of double-digit averages. Ryan Bright leads the way, connecting on 52.5 percent of his shots, resulting in 16.0 ppg. He is also tops on the glass at 7.8 rpg. Plair and Aaron Wade provide adequate scoring help with 13.7 and 11.0 ppg, respectively.

The Bruins made a statement early, going on an 18-0 run against Oakland and never let the Grizzlies back in the game this weekend at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins shot a sterling .509 from the floor in the game, as three players finished in double figures. Darren Collison poured in 15 points in the lopsided win, followed by Arron Afflalo (14 pts) and Josh Shipp (13 pts). Luc Richard Mbah a Moute added eight points to the cause, but had a better game on the boards, grabbing 12 caroms to lead the way. Like all good teams, UCLA is balanced at both ends of the court, showing the ability to win shootouts (77.4 ppg), as well as defensive battles (59.8 ppg against). Four of the team's five starters are averaging double digits, led by Afflalo's 16.3 ppg. Shipp (14.2 ppg) and Mbah a Moute (10.3 ppg) provide the frontcourt balance, while Collison has proved to be both an effective perimeter threat (13.0 ppg), as well as deft distributor (5.7 apg).

The Bruins will once again feast on an inferior foe and should be able to put this one in the win column rather early on.

Predicted Outcome

UCLA 76, Sam Houston State 61