Bruins Fall on the Road to Illinois, Seven-Game Heater Snapped

The UCLA Bruins (18-7, 9-5) were so close to completing a 16-point second-half comeback but fell short in an 83-78 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-8, 9-6) on the road Tuesday night. The Bruins snap their seven-game win streak and continue to struggle on the road against Big Ten teams.

The Bruins went down by double digits very early in the ballgame but were able to recover to a six-point deficit at halftime. A similar situation happened in the second half as the Illini held a 16-point lead with under 5 minutes to go, and the Bruins cut the lead to just two. It would not be enough.

UCLA never led in the ballgame as they were always just one or two possessions behind Illinois' pace. It shot an impressive 50.9% from the field while knocking down 11 3-pointers to lift them to a crucial conference win.

Despite the loss, Bruins junior forward Tyler Bilodeau had a phenomenal game, netting 25 points with a season-high seven made 3s. His efforts would not be enough as there were only two other Bruins that scored in double figures.

Senior guard Kobe Johnson had another strong game offensively, scoring 14 points on 5-7 shooting. His issue was foul trouble, committing four personals and failing to stay on the floor to guard the Illini's top player, freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who finished with 24 points and eight boards.

Sophomore guard Sebastian Mack poured in 11 points off the bench with six rebounds and five assists, being the energy spark of the Bruins team for a majority of the contest. As the Bruins began to pull closer, the Illini kept them at arm's length and made the necessary shots to keep the lead.

UCLA won the turnover battle once again, forcing 14 turnovers while only coughing it up eight times. The difference was made on the glass as Illinois out-rebounded the Bruins by 13, including 10 offensive rebounds that resulted in 10 second-chance points.

The Bruins will look to bounce back on Friday night as they will stay on the road to face the Indiana Hoosiers (14-10, 5-8). It will be a much-needed win to keep UCLA inside the top four spots in the Big Ten standings. Teams that finish in the top four earn a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

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