Aday Mara Shines Once Again for Bruins

The UCLA Bruins were down a man against their crosstown rivals, the USC Trojans, but not to fear, Aday Mara was here.

Jan 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Aday Mara (15) celebrates with guard Dylan Andrews (2) and guard Kobe Johnson (0) as Southern California Trojans guard Wesley Yates III (6) watches in the second half at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins bounced back nicely from their four-game losing streak, erasing it with four straight wins. But this Bruins win was extra special, as UCLA took down its crosstown rivals, the USC Trojans, on the road.

Without leading point scorer Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA fans were curious if the program would be able to cope without him. Bilodeau has led the team in average points per game, seemingly all season long. However, when one man went down, one had to step up, and sophomore center Aday Mara took it upon himself as the man to step into the roll.

Mara has turned things up over his recent games. Concluding Monday's game with 12 points and 11 rebounds, Mara has been impeccable. After dropping a collegiate career-high 22 points when the Bruins took down the then No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers, Mara has not hit the brakes on his production. In fact, his lead foot is to the floor as he continues to drive the Bruins to major turnaround success.

Over Mara's last three games, he has scored 46 points, averaging 15.3 points per game. Typically known for his defensive rebounds in the paint, given his 7-foot-3 frame, the big man has really leaned into using his height to score extra points for the Bruins.

Mara's efforts as of late gained him his first start of the season for Coach Mick Cronin. After his 22-point performance, many Bruin fans took to social media to give their thoughts on getting Mara in the game more. Obviously, his production has remained consistent enough to make those Bruin fan requests come true.

So, what's next for Mara in the starting role? Bilodeau could potentially be out as the Bruins take on the No. 16 Oregon Ducks on Thursday. It would be more daunting if Mara slid into the vacant spot and did not perform, but luckily for UCLA, that is not a scenario the program has to deal with.

It will be important for Mara to keep his hot hand going, especially since UCLA is set to take on Big Ten leaders, the Michigan State Spartans, to kick off the month of February.

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