No. 8 Gonzaga too much to handle inside for No. 25 UCLA
UCLA’s bid for a signature nonconference win ended with a thud Saturday night.
Eighth-ranked Gonzaga got a game-high 25 points from Graham Ike and 21 from Braden Huff, as the forwards repeatedly torched No. 25 UCLA and handed the Bruins an 82-72 loss at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
UCLA (7-3) dropped its second game this season to a top-10 opponent, including a loss last month to now-No. 1 Arizona.
Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau scored a season-high 24 points, but the Bulldogs (10-1) shot 50% from the field (28 of 56) and got 23 points off the bench.
Turning point of the game
The Bruins, who opened the game on a 7-0 run, quickly went more than five minutes between made field goals.
Skyy Clark, who entered the contest 9 of 13 on 3-point attempts over the last two games, connected on two his first three looks including one to end the drought and push UCLA’s early lead to 16-12.
Gonzaga immediately responded with an 11-3 run highlighted by an Ike dunk to pull in front 23-19 with 8:02 left in the half. UCLA trailed 45-40 at the half.
The Bruins regained the lead 54-53 thanks to nine consecutive points, as their defense forced the Bulldogs to miss 11 of 13 shots to start the second half.
Gonzaga snapped out of the funk and swung back with a 10-2 run to go back in front 66-60 with less than nine minutes to play.
UCLA pulled within 66-62 on a Donovan Dent layup at the 8:26 mark but never drew closer. Four minutes later, Jalen Warley pushed the Bulldogs’ lead back up to double digits after a pair of free throws.
UCLA standout on offense: F Tyler Bilodeau
Bilodeau had it all working, finishing 7 of 13 from the field with four made 3-pointers. For nearly 30 minutes, he was the the Bruins’ only consistent source of offense.
UCLA standout on defense: PG Donovan Dent
His activity on the defensive end helped key the Bruins’ run to regain the lead early in the second half. Dent pressured the ball well as opposed to playing on his heels and allowing Gonzaga to comfortably get into its sets.
Why UCLA lost
The Bruins had happy feet on the defensive end, with Bilodeau, Xavier Booker and Steven Jamerson II all having issues staying down on their feet. UCLA had nine blocked shots, but it lacked discipline on shot fakes and sent Gonzaga to the free-throw line 32 times.
Huff and Ike combined for 29 first-half points after each made six of seven shots from the field.
The Bruins were also outscored 21-7 in points off turnovers and outrebounded 36-29, including 12-6 on the offensive glass.
