Cronin Ejected, Bruins Lose Third-Straight Game

The UCLA Bruins' midseason struggles continue to mount as they suffered their third-straight loss in conference, falling to the Maryland Terrapins on the road. Bruins coach Mick Cronin was ejected late in the second half, making matters even worse.

Jan 10, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; UCLA Bruins forward William Kyle III (24) drives to the basket during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The No. 22 UCLA Bruins (11-5) continued to struggle in Big Ten play, falling to the Maryland Terrapins (12-4) by a score of 79-61 on the road on Friday night. Bruins coach Mick Cronin was ejected, and his team fell flat for the third straight game.

It marks the Bruins' second-straight loss of 15 points or more. They have now lost three straight games, all in conference play, since moving up to No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25.

With just over 6 minutes to play in regulation, one referee had enough of Cronin's antics when he stepped onto the court and walked up close to the official, arguing a call. He was thrown out of the game, turning a 6-point deficit into a 15-point deficit with 3 minutes to go.

The Bruins trailed for the entirety of the contest, failing to put together a strong run to come back in the game. The Terrapins shot very well to keep the Bruins at arm's length, hitting from the field at 54% and 36.8% from three-point range.

There were only notable scorers for the Bruins, starting with junior forward Tyler Bilodeau, who had 18 points on 7-12 shooting. True freshman guard Trent Perry scored in double figures for the third time this season, scoring 10 points with four rebounds and three assists.

The biggest issue for the Bruins was their ball security and their inability to take care of the basketball. 21 turnovers led to 26 points off those turnovers. It seemed like UCLA was playing with extreme hostility as the Bruins struggled and Cronin's recent comments about his team.

After the loss earlier in the week at home to the No. 24 Michigan Wolverines, Cronin eviscerated his team, calling them "soft" and "delusional."

This is a completely different team than what we saw in the first two months of the season. Shooting struggles have continued, but what was shown against the Terrapins was that the Bruins are lacking a personality as a team. This team needs help and some sort of an identity revitalization.

The Bruins will look to snap their three-game skid with another tough road battle on Monday, facing the Rutgers Scarlett Knights (8-8). If the Bruins do not find a way to respond and show some sort of fight and competitive edge, this season could be heading in the worst direction.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.