Mara Shines, Bruins Upset No.18 Wisconsin at Home

The UCLA Bruins pulled out an impressive upset victory over the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday night at home to earn their third ranked win of the season. Sophomore center Aday Mara was the star, pouring in a career high in points while playing a key role.

Jan 21, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Aday Mara (15) shoots the ball between Wisconsin Badgers forward Steven Crowl (22) and Wisconsin Badgers guard John Tonje (9) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (13-6, 4-4) gutted out a massive upset victory at home on Tuesday night, topping the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers (15-4, 5-3). The Badgers had their seven-game win streak snapped as the Bruins continue to bounce back after a rough start to the month.

With a 2-point lead with under 30 seconds to play, the Badgers had a chance to tie as sophomore guard John Blackwell went up for a mid-range jumper that was blocked by junior forward William Kyle III, the biggest play of the game. UCLA would hold on, 85-83, for its third ranked win of the year.

Following a four-game losing streak, the Bruins have rebounded with a pair of marquee conference victories. They took down the Iowa Hawkeyes by 24 points and outlasted the Badgers in back-to-back games. This team may be on their way back to what we saw earlier in the season.

UCLA survived a very impressive Badgers team that had two different scorers of 20 or more. Senior guard John Tonje finished with 24 points while Blackwell had 23. A major difference was the Bruins forcing 13 turnovers compared to their seven giveaways.

Bruins sophomore center Aday Mara had the best game of his UCLA career, pouring in 22 points, grabbing five rebounds and adding two blocks. He came into the game averaging just over nine minutes per game and earned significant minutes in a breakout performance.

The rest of UCLA's scoring primarily came from junior forward Tyler Bilodeau and sophomore guard Sebastian Mack. As one of the most consistent players on this team, Bilodeau scored 16 points, while Mack posted 19 points off the bench with several key buckets down the stretch.

Defensively, the Bruins gave up a sizable total but kept pace offensively to stay ahead. Senior guard Kobe Johnson was sensational in guarding Tonje, limiting him to just eight second-half points after scoring 16 in the first 20 minutes. Johnson had just three points but was very solid on defense.

The win brings some reassurance to this Bruins program as they have settled into Big Ten play. They lost four straight conference games to start the new year and have since worked back to an even 4-4 record in the Big Ten. This team has been extremely resilient and deserves immense credit.

The Bruins will be back in action on Friday night when they face the Washington Huskies (10-8, 1-6) on the road. It will be the second matchup this year between the two teams, as UCLA took them down by 11 back in early December at Pauley Pavilion.

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