Bruins Balanced Effort Leads the way in Road Win over the Hoosiers 

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

     The Indiana Hoosiers fell to the UCLA Bruins 72-68 Friday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers who knocked off #11 Michigan State 71-67 Tuesday Night in East Lansing have dropped four in a row at home and six of their last seven games. Indiana is 15-11 overall and 6-9 in the Big Ten and with regular season games left the clock is ticking for the Hoosiers if they have any chance of making the NCAA Tournament.

     The Hoosiers will have a nine-day break to prepare for their next home game with Purdue on February 23, Indiana will Host Penn State and then travel to the Pacific Northwest to face Washington and Oregon before Hosting Ohio State close out the regular season. The Hoosiers sit in 12th place in the Big Ten Standings. The top 15 make the Big Ten Tournament and the Hoosiers are only 1 loss ahead of the bottom three and it’s possible that the Hoosiers could miss out on the Big Ten Tournament if they do not put some wins together.

     UCLA is 19-7 overall and 10-5 in the Big Ten. This Is the first time that UCLA has won a game in the Eastern or Central Time Zone this season and the first time in the last seven Big Ten Games that a team that is traveling 2 or more time zones as won a road game. UCLA is now 1-6 this season in the Eastern or Central Time Zone and will make one more regular season trip to Purdue February 28 and Northwestern March 3 before coming back in Mid-March for the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.

     Luke Goode led the Hoosiers with 16 points, Mackenzie Mgbako and Malik Reneau scored 14 points each. Indiana finished the game 25-62 for 40%, 7-29 from three-point range for 24% and 11-14 from the free throw line for 74%. Indiana pulled down 33 rebounds, dished 12 assists, 8 steals, 1 block, 28 points in the paint, 22 bench points and committed 8 turnovers.

     UCLA got 12 points from Tyler Bilodeau, 11 points from Skyy Clark and 10 from Kobe Johnson. UCLA finished 26-55 from the field for 47%, 9-20 from three-point range for 45% and 11-14 from the free throw line for 78%. The Bruins pulled down 36 rebounds, dished out 16 assists, 4 blocks, 3 steals, 28 points in the paint, 27 bench points and committed 11 turnovers.

     A big factor in the game was 7’4 freshman, Aday Mara who controlled the game while on the floor.

     There were three lead changes, and they all came in the early stages off the game. Oumar Ballo was fouled on the first possession and hit two free throws as Indiana took a 2-0 lead. Tyler Bilodeau drained a three pointer to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead. Indiana scored the next two baskets to take a 6-3 lead. Bilodeau hit two free throws to make it 6-5 Indiana led 10-9 and then UCLA took the lead on a Skyy Clark three to make it 12-10 and the Bruins never looked back and there were no ties.

     The Bruins led 35-25 at halftime. Luke Goode came out in the second half and scored 10 points within the first five minutes of the half as the Hoosiers trailed 42-38. Indiana could not get over the hump as the Bruins answered every time Indiana made a run. Indiana had plenty of chances down the stretch to score and pulls this one out but could not convert. UCLA did not score a field goal for the last two minutes and twenty-six seconds and the Hoosiers went 0-4 from the field and 1-8 at the end of the game even though the Hoosiers outscored the Bruins 43-37 in the second half.

    This is the first time that the two teams played since March 17, 2007, when UCLA beat Indiana 54-49 in the NCAA Tournament in Sacramento California. This was the first time that UCLA has played in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and there third ever trip to Bloomington. The Bruins beat the Hoosiers 52-48 on December 29, 1956, and Indiana beat UCLA 47-33 on December 18, 1941, as the Hoosiers are 1-2 against the Bruins all time in Bloomington. Indiana will visit Pauley Pavillon next season, and the Hoosiers are 2-0 against Bruins in Los Angeles with those wins coming in 1937 and 1940. UCLA is 7-6 all-time against Indiana and this was the first meeting since 1956 the teams have played on campus. UCLA did beat Indiana in Los Angeles on December 29, 1960, 94-72 but that was game was played at a neutral site.

    UCLA Head Coach Mick Cronin is no stranger as a Cincinnati Native knowing what Indiana Basketball all is about. “When I walk out in this place, I see coach Knight. Just when I walk out in our place, I see coach Wooden.” Indiana wore special uniforms to celebrate Black History Month and Mick Cronin said after the game that Bob Knight would roll over in his grave if he saw those uniforms the Hoosiers were wearing.

    For Indiana the frustrations continue, and Mike Woodson has no answer for why Indiana cannot finish down the stretch. “I wish I had the answer. Guys are searching. I’m searching as the coach as the guy to get them over the finish line.” Woodson said after the game. There are only five more regular season games for Indiana to get them over the finish line and if they can’t get over that finish line. It will not be good ending for the Mike Woodson era at Indiana University.