Good, Bad, Ugly From UCLA’s Triumph Over Northwestern

Taking a deep-dive into UCLA's game against Northwestern.

Entering the matchup, UCLA was coming off a win against No. 4 Purdue, so the expectations for the Bruins in this one were sky high. While at times they did play to those expectations, more often than not, they did not. Here is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for UCLA against Northwestern.

The Good | Defense

Jan 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) is defended by Northwestern Wildcats guard Jake West (3) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

When the final buzzer sounded, it was clear that UCLA's defense was the only reason for their win. Against No. 4 Purdue, the Bruins were able to hold them to less than 70 points, which for this team was a big improvement. They were able to carry this success against the Wildcats.

For nine whole minutes in the second half the Bruins were able to hold Northwestern without a field goal. With that being said, UCLA should have won this game by a much largers margin. In the next section we will understand why that was not the case.

The Bad | Offensive Consistency

The bottom line is that UCLA's offensive consistency could have lost them the game. In the second half, UCLA shot 37% from the field and 22% from three. This sharp decline in production made this game much closer than UCLA had hoped. Moving forward, this cannot happen again.

A big driver in this lack of production came from Trent Perry and Tyler Bilodeau. Both players would shoot a combined 2-10 from the field. Without UCLA's stone-wall defense, Northwestern could have taken this game.

The Ugly | Free Throws

Dec 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts on the sidelines in the first half against the UC Riverside Highlanders at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Bruins really struggled from the free throw line in this one. While UCLA's second half performance was ugly in a sense, that is something that can be fixed. While free throw shooting is fixable, it cannot be a recurring theme to round out the season. UCLA shot 52% from the line in this one.

If the Bruins cannot be consistent free-throw shooters, they will be helpless in games where they are outmatched. With four ranked opponents on the schedule, the Bruins will not be able to afford to leave nine points on the line.

Jan 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts after not getting a foul call in the first half against the Northwestern Wildcats at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Overall, not a bad game from the Bruins, but not a good one either. A lot of these critiques can be fixed. If they are not UCLA could be in really bad shape moving forward. Still, UCLA's defense could prove to ratify these issues if they come up again.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI to keep up with every story surrounding UCLA athletics! Please let us know your thoughts on this when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Bruins when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW