The UCLA men’s basketball team fell in a 78-73 loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Min. on Saturday.
The Bruins traveled across the country and were met by a motivated Minnesota team that continued to fight despite their season going nowhere. UCLA’s loss drops the Bruins down to an 11-7 Big Ten Conference record as they head into their final two games of the regular season.
Here are five takeaways:
Falling at the Barn
The Golden Gophers have defended their home valiantly throughout the season with wins against Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State and now UCLA. The Bruins were unable to ever get the edge over Minnesota and allowed the Golden Gophers to stick around.
The Bruins had the confidence to shoot the ball 51 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc. However, the Golden Gophers’ defense made the plays necessary to give them the small lead they needed to take the game down the stretch.
No defense, no chance
UCLA’s offense had plenty of success throughout the game with 41 points in the first half. The underlying theme of the game was a lack of defense from both teams that emphasize that end of the floor. The Golden Gophers were comfortable anywhere on the court as they shot 58 percent from the field and 52 percent from three.
Those are not numbers the Bruins want to see, especially when three of Minnesota’s players, junior forward Bobby Durkin and senior guards Cade Tyson and Langston Reynolds, scored 65 of their 78 points.
Dent’s assists
Redshirt senior guard Donovan Dent had only three points, which was a far cry from his 30-point performance against USC.
However, what he did do on offense was create opportunities for his playmakers and distribute the ball for 15-assists. He had only one turnover throughout the game. As much as UCLA needed him to shoot the ball, having double digit assists that make up over half of UCLA’s 25 assists is a good way to help the team.
Bilodeau’s fire
If Dent was the quarterback, senior forward Tyler Bilodeau was the wide receiver catching 50-yard bombs down the field. Bilodeau led UCLA and the game with 32-points making 4-of-7 3-point attempts and snagging eight rebounds. The big man demonstrated why he has been such a dominant weapon for UCLA, but he needed more help if UCLA was going to ride to another win.
Perry’s struggles
Sophomore guard Trent Perry had a rough, 26-minute game against Minnesota. He scored no points and attempted seven shots from the field. His stat line was one rebound, one assist, one steal and one turnover.
Perry has had much more success than what he demonstrated in Minnesota. At one point, he seemed like the future of UCLA basketball. The Bruins will need Perry to get back to that level if they want a chance to rebound and take down Nebraska on Tuesday, in a game which becomes extra important after this bubble loss to the Gophers.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Five takeaways from UCLA men’s basketball stumble against Minnesota
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
