Down by just three with seven seconds to go in the first half, UCLA had a chance to go into the break with momentum. However, as had been happening all night, the Bruin’s defense collapsed, leaving the Buckeyes wide open from three. John Mobley Jr. sank a three-pointer from the ‘S’ in the half-court logo as time expired, dancing his way into the locker room with a six-point lead.
That momentum carried into the 2nd half, where UCLA ultimately fell apart. The Bruins (12-6, 4-3 Big Ten) prevented a blowout late, but still lost 86-74 to the Buckeyes (12-5, 4-3 Big Ten) at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH.
Ohio State did not trail for a single second of the match, taking control midway through the opening frame and never looking back. Still, despite Mobley Jr.’s late-half heroics, the game remained close heading into halftime, with the Buckeyes carrying a 42-36 advantage.
But once more, the Ohio native crushed UCLA’s comeback dreams. Just over 20 seconds into the second half, Mobley Jr. sank a deep, heavily contested three over senior guard Donovan Dent. The shot powered a 12-0 run to open the period, giving OSU an 18-point lead with 16:35 to play.
From that point on, free throws were the only thing keeping the Bruins afloat. They sank all 14 of their remaining attempts from the line, but could not scrape away at the deficit, only maintain it. With 7:31 to play, UCLA still trailed by 18. The Buckeyes would hold on to secure the victory, marking their first in the quad one all season.
It’s cliché, but Ohio State, in every aspect of the game, seemed to want it more. They outscored the Bruins 9-0 on second chance opportunities in the first half, and at one point led their opponent 24-10 in the rebound battle. They hustled on the boards, jumped at loose balls and played with a level of intensity that could not be matched.
UCLA’s poor effort on the glass is atypical of head coach Mick Cronin’s teams of the past, yet contributes to a notable trend over halfway through the 2025-26 campaign. They came into the contest ranked 319th in the nation in total rebounds per game, with just 32.5, and finished with only 27 on Saturday afternoon.
Also uncharacteristic in the defeat was the Bruins’ lackluster defense. OSU’s 86 points and 52% shooting conceded both rank 2nd-worst in a game this season. Ohio State’s three leading scorers contributed to 71 of the 86 total points, including a career-high 28 from Mobley Jr., who sank 8-15 of his attempts from the field.
Following the loss, Cronin said he was “highly disappointed in getting our ass kicked physically and in our inability to play defense.”
As a bright spot in the loss, senior forward Tyler Bilodeau continues to shine as UCLA’s leading scorer. He scored 30 against the Buckeyes, his second time reaching that total this season, and had excellent shooting splits of 47% FG, 57% 3PT and 100% FT.
“We just got to be more ready to play, and you know, step up to the fight ” said Bilodeau in a post game interview.
The Bruins will face one more ranked opponent in January, traveling back to Pauley Pavilion to face No. 5 Purdue on Tuesday.
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Featured Image via UCLA Athletics
