“We don’t play smart … We do not play smart at all, and it’s perplexing”
Mick Cronin’s postgame interview bluntly captured the Bruins’ frustration in Saturday night’s loss. UCLA had no answer inside, as Gonzaga’s front-court duo dominated with 46 points on 57.1% shooting.
Even with an 8:45 p.m. tipoff, Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle was blanketed with roaring Bulldog fans, whose energy helped No. 8 Gonzaga (10-1, 0-0 WCC) pull away in an 82-72 win over No. 5 UCLA (7-3, 2-0 Big Ten).
The Bruins started off hot, as guard Skyy Clark knocked down a step-back three that was followed by a mid-range jumper from forward Eric Dailey Jr. This gave UCLA an early 7-0 lead, but the Bulldogs did not back down.
In the subsequent 10 minutes, Gonzaga’s star forward Graham Ike responded with 11 points, including an and-one throwdown over UCLA’s Xavier Booker that took the roof off Climate Pledge Arena.
Soon after, Ike’s partner in crime, Braden Huff, took over the reins offensively, scoring at all three levels to propel the Bulldogs to a 45-40 lead at the break. Ike and Huff finished the half with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Nonetheless, led by star forward Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA continued to fight back. In the first few minutes of the second half, Bilodeau took over on both ends of the floor, with two triples and a block to bring UCLA back into the game.
Moments later, off a steal from forward Brandon Williams, Dailey Jr. finished an open breakaway with a reverse slam, silencing the Gonzaga crowd and cutting their lead to just one.
Dailey Jr. then stuffed Huff at the rim, paving the way to a transition layup from Donovan Dent that gave the Bruins the lead.
However, after this run, UCLA began to crumble. Ike and Huff continued to power through in the paint, combining for 17 points in the second half to carry the Bulldogs to a 82-72 victory.
Cronin put it simply after the loss: “Defense beat us. Defense beat us. We shot 50% from three and the field.”
Five years ago, former Bulldog and current NBA guard Jalen Suggs banked in a half-court buzzer-beater in overtime to knock the Bruins out of the Final Four and ever since, bad blood has lingered between the two schools. Gonzaga has bested UCLA in these rivalry games, with now having won five of the last six matchups.
Looking ahead, UCLA will return to Los Angeles to face Arizona State on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at Pauley Pavilion.
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Featured Image via UCLA Athletics
