UCLA: Wildfires won’t affect travel for UM game

As wildfires continued to rage in Southern California on Wednesday, UCLA men’s basketball canceled its home game against Montana.

But the fires weren’t expected to affect UCLA’s trip to Michigan, with the teams scheduled to play at noon Saturday at Crisler Center. A UCLA spokesman told The News the UCLA team was to depart Los Angeles for Ann Arbor on Thursday, a normal travel itinerary two days before the tip with the Wolverines.

UCLA is traveling to Michigan as part of a home-and-home that included last year’s meeting at Pauley Pavilion, won, 104-82, by then-No. 2 UCLA.

UCLA is 7-1 despite the suspension of three freshman over a shoplifting incident in China. That included LiAngelo Ball, son of LaVar Ball, who left the program this week. The Bruins are coming off Sunday’s 106-73 home victory over Detroit Mercy.

Michigan is 7-3, coming off a rough loss at Ohio State, which rallied from a 20-point, first-half deficit.

The wildfires in California have covered tens of thousands of acres, with more than 1,000 firefighters working to contain the blazes, which are being strengthened by strong winds.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

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