Breaking Down UCLA's Loss to Gonzaga

The Bruins would fall 82-72 in a very competitive clash with Gonzaga, here is how they lost.

This game would be the Bruins' last opportunity to get a notable non-conference win this season; the Bruins' struggles were on full display in the second half. Here is what went wrong.

Numbers from the Game

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery (17) shoots the ball over UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

UCLA would put up a decent performance overall. However, they could not step up when it mattered most for them. The Bruins shot 49% from the field; at one point, it was over 50%. However, the offense would really struggle later in the second half.

The Bruins did not rebound as much as they wanted to, just 29 rebounds throughout the game, down from their measly 34.2 rebounds per game entering this matchup. The Bruins finished with just six offensive rebounds compared to 23 defensive rebounds.

Dec 3, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) celebrates after the UCLA Bruins defeated the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Turnover-wise, the Bruins did ok, but how they responded was the issue. They had 10 turnovers, and Gonzaga was able to capitalize, scoring 19 points off of them. The Bruins were also able to accumulate five steals during the game.

Defensively, the Bruins did well; they were able to reject nine of Gonzaga's shots. However, the Bruins were unable to score many points off them.

Individual Performances

Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) and center Xavier Booker (1) leave the court after defeated by the Arizona Wildcats 69-65 at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

There were plenty of notable performances from the Bruins in this one. However, there were a few that would really hurt the Bruins down the stretch. Most notably, Xavier Booker, scored 12 points on 50% shooting. His defense really allowed Gonzaga to pull ahead later in the game.

A lack of a true big man really hurt UCLA in this game. The Bulldog front court, consisting of Graham Ike and Braden Huff, combined for 46 points and nine rebounds. You could tell that Gonzaga was targeting one-on-ones with Booker, exposing a flaw in the Bruins' rotation.

Tyler Bilodeau had a really solid first half scoring 16 points on 4/6 shooting. However, he really cooled down in the second half when the Bruins needed him most. Only scoring eight points on 3/7 shooting. It was clear that Gonzaga made it an emphasis to slow him down in the second half.

Donovan Dent did ok in this one. Scoring 12 points on 50% shooting, with a very impressive 10 assists. However, Dent was hesitant to shoot, which ultimately caused him to make a few bad passes in the second half, which led to his four turnovers.

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Bruins biggest struggle overall this game was their lousy late second half showing. Something really needs to change, and that starts with Mick Cronin.

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