UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Recapping Bruins' Road Win Over Northwestern

Our latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast breaks down the Bruins' gritty road win over the Northwestern Wildcats on the road on Monday night. After a late scare that nearly let the Wildcats back in the game, UCLA found a way to finish.

Mar 3, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) reacts to a call by the referee against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (21-9, 12-7) gutted out a massive road victory on Monday night as they defeated the Northwestern Wildcats (16-14, 7-12) by a score of 73-69 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Despite a late scoring surge from the Wildcats, UCLA found a way to come away with the win.

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, UCLA Bruins On SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh recaps the Bruins' crucial win, just their second on the road against a traditional Big Ten team this season. They stay afloat as one of the top four teams to earn a double-bye in the conference tournament.

You can watch the episode below:

The Bruins put a damper on Northwestern's Senior Night and the three-game win streak they were riding. Despite leading by 14 points with just over 2 minutes to play, UCLA allowed a 13-0 scoring run that brought the Wildcats right back into the ballgame.

UCLA would hang on as sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. was able to get free, get fouled and go to the line for a pair of technical free throws that he would make. The Bruins ended up closing out the contest with a few more free throws to seal their 21st win of the season.

After taking a 1-point deficit into halftime, the Bruins made it a point to step up their defense and rebounding ability in the final 20 minutes. They ended up outscoring Northwestern by 5 while outrebounding their opponent by 14, including 13 offensive rebounds for 17 second-chance points.

Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau was the star once again, scoring a team-high 20 points, making it the 11th game that he has led UCLA in points. Bilodeau found foul trouble early but was still able to make a considerable impact in 24 minutes of action.

Another key piece to the win was sophomore center Aday Mara. He notched his second double-double of the season, netting 11 points with 10 rebounds. He also picked up three blocks, continuing to be one of the conference's top shot blockers.

Other notable scoring came from junior guard Skyy Clark and Dailey. Clark had 10 points with seven assists and two steals, while Dailey posted 12 points and six rebounds. Senior shooting guard Lazar Stefanovic chipped in with 7 off the bench as well.

UCLA needed this win badly to stay afloat as a potential top-four spot in the final Big Ten standings, which would earn it a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. It will need some help as it requires No. 18 Purdue and No. 13 Maryland to lose their last two games, while No. 12 Wisconsin must lose one.

The Bruins have just one regular season game remaining, awaiting a Senior Night of their own. Three Bruins will be honored at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday night as they face their in-state bitter rivals, the USC Trojans (14-15, 6-12).

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