SEATTLE — They tried a zone defense. They tried moving Tyler Bilodeau back to center. They double- and triple-teamed in the post. They showed one defense to start a possession, only to shift into another.
Nothing the UCLA Bruins did to combat their lack of rim protection worked for more than a couple of possessions at a time.
And so a coach known for defense had to watch his team get bludgeoned inside once again while giving up an unusually frightening number of easy baskets.
“We just couldn’t get the job done defensively,” Bruins coach Mick Cronin said.
UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau looks to shoot under pressure from Gonzaga guard Adam Miller (23) and center Graham Ike (15) Saturday in Seattle.
(Jason Redmond / Associated Press)
There doesn’t appear to be a quick defensive fix in sight for No. 25 UCLA after it suffered an 82-72 setback against No. 8 Gonzaga on Saturday night at Climate Pledge Arena in the West Coast Hoops Showdown, the Bruins faltering late in their final bid to secure a signature nonconference triumph.
UCLA was overmatched inside, the Bulldogs frontcourt tandem of Graham Ike (25 points) and Braden Huff (21 points) finding success at the rim far too often as a result of being able to make left-handed moves that should have come as no surprise.
“Our problem,” Cronin said, “is we can’t follow the scouting report, we don’t play smart.”
It also didn’t help that UCLA’s late-game execution was once again pitiful, point guard Donovan Dent doing too little once he reached the rim thanks to a flurry of missed shots and bad passes.
“I had a couple of silly turnovers that I just can’t have happen,” said Dent, whose 12 points and 10 assists were partially offset by his four turnovers. “Two [turnovers] for layups; we said turnovers for touchdowns are going to kill us.”
UCLA (7-3) lost despite shooting 49% and making seven of 15 three-pointers because the Bulldogs (10-1) shot 50%, took 13 more free throws and grabbed seven more rebounds. Cronin said the free-throw discrepancy came as a result of his team being out of position defensively.
Bilodeau’s 24 points were nothing more than a footnote after his teammates failed to get him the ball in enough favorable positions, particularly when he was being guarded by a smaller defender. UCLA forward Eric Dailey Jr. also developed an overreliance on jump shots while finishing with a quiet six points and five rebounds in 34 minutes.
Early in the second half, one stretch portended a different ending.
UCLA guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles in front of Gonzaga center Graham Ike, right, and guard Mario Saint-Supéry (17) Saturday in Seattle.
(Jason Redmond / Associated Press)
A faint “U-C-L-A!” chant broke out among the heavily pro-Gonzaga crowd after the Bruins went on a 9-0 run sparked by defense.
A Dent steal led to a Brandon Williams layup in transition, a Dailey steal allowed him to throw down a reverse dunk on the fast break and then a Bilodeau block resulted in a Dent layup.
The Bruins were suddenly up by a point and their defensive woes from earlier in the game were momentarily forgotten.
But soon Bilodeau picked up his third foul and departed, leading to a Gonzaga push in which the Bulldogs outscored the Bruins 10-4 to retake control. Dent said the Bulldogs’ switching into a zone for about three minutes baffled the Bruins’ offense.
Cronin also lamented that Williams — who had been playing some strong post defense off the bench — sprained his ankle and had to depart after only five minutes.
This was a game that UCLA needed to win as an NCAA tournament resume builder given a previous lack of meaningful victories and a relatively bad loss to California. The Bruins’ remaining nonconference games — against Arizona State, Cal Poly and UC Riverside — can do little to boost their prospects, meaning they will need an elite showing in Big Ten play to earn a good seeding come March.
Gonzaga center Graham Ike shoots the ball as UCLA forward Steven Jamerson II defends Saturday in Seattle.
(Jason Redmond / Associated Press)
UCLA went back to an old look in the last few possessions before halftime, putting Bilodeau at center. There seemed like little choice given starting center Xavier Booker’s inability to protect the rim and backup Steven Jamerson’s three fouls that sent him back to the bench.
Bilodeau compounded matters by committing a silly foul near midcourt with only four seconds left before halftime, sending Gonzaga’s Mario Saint-Supery to the free throw line for the points that gave the Bulldogs a 45-40 lead at the game’s midpoint.
“We showed zone, we went man, they’ve got no clue, there’s four seconds, just back up and the guy takes a desperation shot,” Cronin said of what should have transpired on the play. “What are you jumping him for? Like, it’s just basic basketball and we were struggling with it. We’ve got good kids and they’re trying, we’ve just got to play smarter.”
How does Cronin’s team go about doing that?
“Teach, watch film, keep teaching, stay relentless — we’ve got to stay relentless,” he said.
Gonzaga guard Jalen Warley, right, drives as UCLA forward Xavier Booker defends him during the first half Saturday.
(Jason Redmond / Associated Press)
Cronin said it was essential to build a culture of players knowing why they win, something that’s become far more difficult in an era of free agency with constant player movement.
“It’s hard,” Cronin said of forging that culture. “It’s a lot easier if you’ve got more money.”
The Bruins’ bad habits kept them from enjoying more success against Gonzaga after finally breaking through last year, a three-point victory at the Intuit Dome momentarily pushing aside memories of heartbreaking heaves in the NCAA tournament that were part of four consecutive victories by the Bulldogs.
Cronin said he hoped the series would get extended, though that’s probably low on his list of concerns at the moment. At the top is getting back to playing some competent defense.