| Men’s Basketball |
|---|
| UCLA — 59 |
| Michigan State — 82 |
The margin grew quickly, and the response never fully came.
UCLA dropped its second straight contest Tuesday night, falling 82-59 to No.15 Michigan State at the Breslin Center in a physical Big Ten matchup.
The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten) struggled to recover after a decisive first half in which the Spartans built a 43-23 advantage. Michigan State shot 58% before the break and used a 20-3 run midway through the opening period to seize control. By the time halftime arrived, UCLA faced a 20-point deficit that proved too large to overcome.
Michigan State (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) finished the night shooting 53% from the field and knocked down 14 3-pointers, with Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr leading the way with 16 points apiece. The Spartans maintained separation throughout the second half, despite UCLA trimming the margin slightly after the break.
Senior forward Tyler Bilodeau provided a bright spot for the Bruins, scoring a game-high 22 points and hitting three shots from beyond the arc. He opened the second half aggressively, converting four of his first five attempts. Senior guard Skyy Clark added 12 points, but UCLA shot just 37% overall and could not find sustained rhythm offensively.
Head coach Mick Cronin did not mince words afterward.
“We just got thoroughly outplayed,” Cronin said. “They got guys who have been in their program. They got a lot of pride in their program.”
Bilodeau echoed the defensive concerns.
“I thought we were bad defensively,” he said. “Got embarrassed on the glass. Just all-around not a great game.”
The Bruins will look to respond quickly as they return home to Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, Feb. 21, to host No.10 Illinois at 5 p.m. PST.
