In a game that can only be described as disappointing at this stage of the season, the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team blew a 17-point lead and lost in the final seconds to a struggling Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team, 64-61 last Tuesday at home. The loss drops the Bruins to 19-8 for the season and 10-6 in the Big Ten Conference.
Minnesota is now 14-12 in the season and 6-9 in the Big Ten conference play. The Golden Gophers took their first lead of the game with 1:02 remaining on a layup by guard Lu’Cye Patterson, which gave them a 60-59 lead. The Bruins took the lead back with 44 seconds left on a layup by guard Sebastian Mack. Patterson gave Minnesota the lead for good with 8 seconds remaining on another layup.
The Bruins came in with a Net Ranking of 23, had won 8 of their last 9 games and looked to be rounding into a strong contender for the postseason NCAA Tournament. Minnesota came in with a Net Ranking of 95, so this loss at home will go down as Quad 3 loss for the Bruins, which will not help their seeding in the NCAA men’s tournament. The loss dropped UCLA to a Net Ranking of 28. Minnesota rose to 89. Net rankings are a key factor in determining NCAA Tournament seeding and selection.
The Bruins took a 29-12 lead in the game with 5:31 remaining in the first half, and Minnesota called a timeout to collect themselves. The Bruins were in total control and in the first half and forced four 30-second shot clock violations by Minnesota with their stifling defense.
Then it appeared that the Bruins put it in cruise control and lost their defensive intensity and focus. After giving up just 12 points in the first 15 minutes of the game, the Bruins gave up 11 in the final five minutes of the first half and 41 in the second half. For UCLA head coach Mick Cronin, a coach who emphasizes defense and toughness, the performance against the Golden Gophers was very disappointing.
“We haven’t been through this,” Cronin said. “You win eight out of nine, and you lose humility, and you start worrying about everything but defense. I’ve got guys in that locker room that are worried about shooting. They’re worrying about shooting, worried about points and if their shot goes in. They’re not worried about playing defense and getting the W, and that’s what happened tonight.”
As badly as the Bruins played on defense in the second half, they still would have won the game had they simply made their free throws. The Bruins missed 10 free throws in the second half, making just 5 of 15, and missed all five attempts in the final 1:30 of the game. Forward Tyler Bilodeau, the Bruins leading scorer, missed all three free throw attempts in the final 1:30 of the game, while the Bruins’ second leading scorer, Eric Dailey Jr., missed both of his free throws with 17 seconds remaining and the Bruins leading 61-60.
Cronin refused to site the free throws as the primary reason the Bruins lost the game. “I hear you with the free throws,” Cronin said to a reporter at his postgame press conference. “I’m not stupid, I can count. You miss 10 free throws as well as two front ends, it’s as bad as it can be. We missed 10 free throws in the second half, and I’m well aware of that.”
Cronin added, “Even if we had won this game, I’m trying to build a team that has a chance in the NCAA tournament. I’m really disappointed that I have guys who are worried about the wrong thing. It’s a losing mentality to think about whether or not your shot goes in. We’re worried about the wrong things. We should have been worried about whether or not the free throw were going in! We weren’t tough enough to go play defense. Things aren’t going to go right all the time in life, go play defense.”
The Bruins’ defense in the second half of games has been inconsistent. Minnesota’s leading scorer, forward Dawson Garcia, averages 19 points per game for the Golden Gophers. He was held to 5 points in the first half but exploded for 27 points in the second half to finish with a season-high of 32 points and a game-high of 8 rebounds. The Bruins lost him on defense and did not match his energy level.
The Bruins have been a balanced scoring team throughout the season, but there is a lack of leadership on the team. Guard Kobe Johnson, who is the best all-around player on the team, is the closest thing to a leader on the team. Somebody needs to lead on the court, on both ends of the court, and make free throws when the game is on the line.
The Bruins will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes this Sunday, February 23, at Pauley Pavilion in Westwood. The game will begin at 12:45 pm and will be televised nationally on CBS. The Buckeyes are currently 15-11 overall and 7-8 in the Big Ten. The Bruins will attempt to get Cronin his 500th career victory and regain the lost momentum from their stunning loss to Minnesota.
The late Bill Walton, who helped lead UCLA to consecutive national championships in 1972 and ’73, will be honored during the men’s home basketball game against Ohio State this Sunday. Walton died of cancer in May at age 71.