UCLA men’s basketball went to Iowa City to resume Big Ten Conference play against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. A second-half comeback came up short in a 74-61 loss.
Defense wins championships. UCLA’s ugly first-half performance set the Bruins up for failure. They suffered their first Big Ten loss of the season against the ranked Hawkeyes. A ferocious second half performance created some momentum and hope, but ultimately it was not enough for a win. Here are five takeaways from UCLA’s loss:
Rise and Shine
The Bruins resumed conference play after a 10-day break and were sleepy. They served up a horrific first half in which they fell behind by 24 points. At halftime, the deficit was cut to 18 points with Iowa leading 40-22. The Bruins woke up in the second half. Defense and offense erupted for UCLA to make it a competitive matchup, but the Hawkeyes were able to pull away in the final few minutes to keep the Bruins at bay and win 74-61.
The Stirtz Zone
Iowa senior guard Bennett Stirtz was a man among boys against UCLA. The Bruins should have known that Stirtz was the Hawkeyes’ best offensive weapon, yet they couldn’t contain him. When Stirtz moved toward the basket, the Bruins would crash down to stop him, but then he would complete a pass to a wide open Hawkeye for an easy score. When UCLA gave him a driving lane, he would take it for an easy layup. He was unstoppable and the Bruins struggled to stop him throughout the game.
A Dent in their armor
Redshirt senior guard Donovan Dent did everything he could to bring the Bruins back into the game. He had back to back plays with steals and scores to close the gap. For all the ways Dent has struggled this season, his skill set was on full display against Iowa. He affirmed his X-Factor status to shift the momentum in this game. He made his jumpers, battled to the basket and distributed the ball effectively. Dent ended the game with 25 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals. He led the Bruins in points and assists and was tied in rebounds.
Ball don’t lie
The Bruins struggled to rebound; they were outmuscled by the Hawkeyes. UCLA had 27 rebounds compared to Iowa’s 32. If the Bruins would have been better at the basket, they could have had a better chance for a comeback by not giving Iowa second chance opportunities. Although they struggled at the basket, UCLA won the takeover battle with 11 steals to the Hawkeyes seven. The Bruins were able to get back into the game because of their defense and thanks to a string of steals, but ultimately it was too little, too late.
Hawkeyes lockdown
Iowa won the game by playing it in its preferred style. The Hawkeyes defensively locked down the Bruins for nearly the entirety of the first half, which put UCLA in a hole that was just too much for the Bruins to come back from. As previously mentioned, the Bruins’ sluggish start to the game hindered UCLA’s performance, but credit should go to Iowa for forcing the Bruins into difficult shots and preventing them from forming any sort of rhythm.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Five takeaways from UCLA Bruins’ loss to Iowa Hawkeyes
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
