UCLA faced off against Indiana on Friday night in a road matchup. After leading in the first half, the Bruins struggled to maintain their advantage in the second but ultimately secured a 72-68 victory over the Hoosiers.
Indiana won the opening tip, and shortly after, Kobe Johnson picked up his first foul, allowing Indiana’s Oumar Ballo to make two free throws. However, Tyler Bilodeau quickly responded with the first three-pointer of the night.
With nine minutes left in the first half, Indiana had gone scoreless for the past seven minutes. Aday Mara entered the game with 7:40 remaining and immediately made an impact, blocking a shot before scoring a dunk. Mara led the Bruins at the half with six points. The Bruins entered the half at 35-25.
Indiana came out stronger in the second half, shooting more efficiently and cutting UCLA’s lead to four within the first five minutes. Freshman Trent Perry hit a three-pointer, becoming the Bruins’ leading scorer at that point with seven points. Mara, who had struggled with free throws earlier, made both of his attempts from the line.
With less than 12 minutes remaining, no UCLA player had yet scored more than eight points. Dylan Andrews missed a layup, marking his fourth missed shot of the night. Soon after, Clark scored a three-pointer, becoming the first Bruin to reach double digits with 11 points. Bilodeau made a basket but quickly picked up his second personal foul, followed by Clark getting his second as well. Moments later, Bilodeau was whistled for his third, making him the first player of the night to reach three personal fouls.
With two and a half minutes left, Indiana trailed by just four. Perry got his first block of the night with under two minutes to go. With 53 seconds remaining, Perry picked up his first personal foul, allowing Indiana to get a pair of free throws and allowed Indiana to score their free throws. Sebastian Mack missed a layup with 30 seconds left, giving Indiana a chance. With eight seconds remaining, both Myles Rice and Mackenzie Mgbako from Indiana missed potential game-tying shots.
With four seconds left, Indiana’s Luke Goode fouled Andrews, sending him to the line. Andrews converted both free throws, sealing the win for the Bruins. Despite a shaky second half, UCLA held on to defeat Indiana 72-68.
#15 Aday Mara and #2 Dylan Andrews exchange a quick high five on the court. Mara made a strong impact off the bench, contributing eight points, while Andrews sealed the game with late free throws, contributing a total of six points.
Photo courtesy of Jan Kim Lim/UCLA Athletics
Skyy Clark drives past Indiana defender Malik Reneau on his way to the basket. The sophomore guard provided key offensive plays and accrued 11 points for the Bruins.
Photo courtesy of Jan Kim Lim/UCLA Athletics
Dylan Andrews shoots a three-pointer from the top of the key. He scored six points in the game, with three assists and three rebounds.
Photo courtesy of Jan Kim Lim/UCLA Athletics
