Change continues to be good for UCLA in 82-39 rout of UC Davis

Addition by subtraction.

That was the argument being tossed around when UCLA dismissed volatile forward Reeves Nelson on Dec. 9 — that it lost a good player but was better off for it.

It might be too early to know if that equation is accurate, but these numbers don’t lie:

The Bruins have added three consecutive wins to their record and evened it at 5-5 since Nelson left, the latest an 82-39 demolition of UC Davis before 5,132 at the Honda Center on Saturday.

“Our team has become more cohesive, obviously,” UCLA Coach Ben Howland said.

UC Davis Coach Jim Les, whose son Tyler led the Aggies in scoring with nine points, agreed.

And so did UCLA center Joshua Smith, who scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first double-double this season.

“With the guys we have, the chemistry is getting really good,” Smith said. “Our practices are harder.”

The Bruins had it together against UC Davis (1-9), which has defeated only Division III Santa Cruz, in what became UCLA’s most lopsided win since rolling Wyoming by 51 in December 2008.

But it’s easy to look together in what amounted to a varsity vs. JV scrimmage.

UCLA led by as many as 35 points in the first half and by 47 in the second.

If UC Davis put up any fight, it came when it outscored UCLA, 12-11, just after halftime.

Then the Bruins responded with a 20-0 run, the equivalent of a roundhouse knockout punch.

“UC Davis is a better team than they showed today,” Howland said. “It was a combination of them not playing well and us playing really well.”

Well enough that seldom-played Tyler Trapani, the great-grandson of John Wooden, saw some final-minute floor time. (He missed his only shot.)

Travis Wear missed his second straight game because of a skin infection on his left foot that could be related to an injury suffered while snorkeling in Hawaii last month.

Fellow sophomore forward David Wear scored a career-high 15 in his twin’s absence.

Howland said Travis Wear, the Bruins’ second-leading scorer (10.6 points per game), probably will return Tuesday against UC Irvine (2-8).

The Aggies missed 42 of 55 shots, so there were plenty of rebounds to grab and UCLA grabbed more for a change, outrebounding UC Davis, 50-34.

Guard Tyler Lamb had career highs in rebounds (nine) and assists (seven), and Smith was one point short of a career high, but his mostly-dominant 21 minutes of playing time stood out more.

That’s the most the 6-foot-10, 305-pound Smith, who’s struggled with conditioning, has played since logging 22 minutes against Chaminade on Nov. 21, and he said he could’ve played more.

“I know it’s going to be my issue the whole year until I get in great physical shape,” Smith said.

Smith said he feels “great” compared to earlier this season and that tweaking his diet — not what or how much he eats, but when he eats — has helped.

“Like, before I go to class, grabbing a banana, a water, just to take to get it in you so you’re not going straight to practice just empty-bellied,” Smith said.

That’s a small change compared to what the team has dealt with in losing Nelson.

But minus one key element — the Bruins have improved their record.

Said Smith: “We’re kind of getting our chemistry back.”

baxter.holmes@latimes.com

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