UCLA Basketball: Bruins Drop Another Non-Conference Game in Loss to Ohio State
The narrative that's been following UCLA all season long reared its ugly head once again today.
After taking a halftime lead, a lack of poise -- coupled with spotty offense -- doomed the Bruins in a 67-60 loss to Ohio State in Atlanta.
UCLA (5-4) was led on the day by 14 points from Sebastian Mack. Dylan Andrews scored 13 for the Bruins, and Adem Bona chipped in with 12 points and 6 rebounds.
It was one of those ugly, Big Ten-esque grind-it-out games. Both teams did play exceptionally well on the defensive end of the floor, particularly in the first half. For the entirety of the game, both teams combined to shoot 2/24 from three-point range.
This became a classic back-and-forth game. Neither team could garner much in the way of breathing room. With less than 10 minutes remaining, Ohio State's Bruce Thornton began making his presence known. He scored 11 of his 13 in the second half and did a nice job setting up teammates when double-teamed.
This had to have been a frustrating game for Mick Cronin. UCLA probably missed six uncontested layups. Not to mention, Mack uncharacteristically struggled from the three-throw line (going 4/8).
This was a gut punch for the Bruins when it comes to an NCAA Tournament resume. On one hand, UCLA hasn't had a 'bad' loss all season long. Marquette, Ohio State, Gonzaga, and Villanova all project to be tournament teams.
On the other hand, despite all four games being single-digit defeats, UCLA failed to garner a signature win in the non-conference portion of its schedule. The Bruins do host Maryland on Dec. 22, thus giving the team one last chance at a win versus a noteworthy opponent before conference play begins.
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