If the UCLA males’s basketball group hopes to make up floor within the Massive Ten race, now could be the time to do it.
Using momentum from an upset of No. 4 Purdue 4 days earlier, UCLA’s first victory over a ranked opponent, the Bruins took a must-win method into Saturday afternoon’s contest towards Northwestern and received 71-64 at Pauley Pavilion.
It was the second straight win and fourth in 5 video games for a squad in the midst of a six-game West Coast swing, with 5 video games at residence. The following 4 are towards groups beneath them within the convention standings.
Tyler Bilodeau and Trent Perry every scored 18 factors, Donovan Dent had 13 factors and Eric Dailey Jr. had 11 factors and eight rebounds. Bilodeau has at the least 10 factors in 15 of 17 video games, totaling 20 or extra seven occasions and serving to choose up the scoring slack whereas guard Skyy Clark is sidelined by a hamstring damage.
The Bruins (14-6, 6-3) improved to 12-1 when main at halftime. They outrebounded Northwestern 34-32 and prevented the Wildcats from making a area purpose for 11 minutes within the second half, however shedding the turnover battle (10 to 9) and struggling on the free-throw line (11 for 21) saved the rating too shut for coach Mick Cronin’s consolation.
“We had a bit of fatigue late,” Cronin mentioned. “Guys are taking part in lots of minutes … that we’re profitable video games on this convention with out Skyy Clark says one thing. No one needs to be again greater than him … we’re attempting to carry down the fort till we will get him again.”
Saturday’s win coupled with Ohio State’s loss Friday at Michigan moved UCLA into seventh place. The Bruins would climb right into a tie with Wisconsin for fifth ought to USC knock off the Badgers on Sunday in Madison.
“I’ve put in lots of work attending to my spots and executing,” Perry added. “Skyy’s recommendation to me has been to maintain being aggressive.”
UCLA was eight for eight from the ground throughout its 12-2 run over a three-minute span late within the first half, capped by a pull-up jumper by Perry that gave the Bruins a 14-point lead. They led 41-31 at halftime.
The Bruins will go for 3 in a row Wednesday at Oregon earlier than returning to Westwood for video games towards Indiana, Rutgers and Washington. Wins on this stretch are crucial since UCLA wraps up the common season with 4 video games towards ranked groups (one towards undefeated Nebraska) and two towards rival USC. Solely three of their remaining 11 are exterior of the Pacific time zone.
“Eric Dailey’s physicality and defensive rebounding was an enormous, huge key for us,” Cronin mentioned. “In the event you don’t surrender layups and dunks, you’ve received an opportunity to cease folks. They solely had 24 factors within the paint.”
UCLA ahead Tyler Bilodeau shoots over Northwestern’s Jake West within the second half. Bilodeau scored in double figures for the fifteenth time in 17 video games.
(Mark J. Terrill / Related Press)
Bilodeau, who started the day ninth within the Massive Ten in scoring (18.2 factors), had 16 within the first half and was 4 for 4 from three-point vary. He hit the go-ahead three-pointer Tuesday to present UCLA its first victory over a top-five opponent because the then-No. 5 Bruins beat No. 3 Arizona 75-59 on Jan. 25, 2022, of their third 12 months below Cronin.
“I had an excellent begin however sure, we might’ve executed higher on the finish,” Bilodeau mentioned. “This provides us confidence going ahead. We now have to construct on these two residence wins and clear up our rebounding and defensive mishaps.”
UCLA followers have but to go away Pauley Pavilion disenchanted this winter, as the boys’s and ladies’s groups have mixed to win all 21 video games on their residence ground—12 by Cronin’s squad.
Ahead Nick Martinelli scored 20 factors and grabbed eight rebounds for the Wildcats (9/11, 1-8), who had been using excessive after stunning USC 74-68 on Wednesday at Galen Heart for his or her first convention win. Tre Singleton added 12 for Northwestern, which was making its first look at Pauley Pavilion and fell to 1-7 towards the Bruins.
“We struggled on the foul line and [Northwestern coach] Chris Collins made an ideal adjustment within the second half,” Cronin mentioned. “We don’t have anybody to throw it into the submit. We struggled with that in the present day.”
Martinelli’s layup pulled the Wildcats to inside 67-60 with 1:08 left, however Dailey was fouled with 35 seconds left and made each foul pictures. Perry added a pair of free throws 11 seconds later to seal the deal.
“Nick is a proficient participant,” Cronin mentioned. “You attempt to make him work for his pictures. He performed lots of minutes as did lots of our guys.”
