Tuesday night started with all the makings of a celebratory evening for UCLA. The Bruins stormed out of the gate with a fiery intensity, jumping to an early 17-point lead. Their defensive pressure was relentless, forcing four shot-clock violations before halftime and completely shutting down Minnesota’s star player, Dawson Garcia, who managed only five points in the first half.
Everything seemed to be falling into place for Mick Cronin’s 500th career win. Even as the Bruins allowed a bit of slippage before halftime, they still held an 11-point lead. The question wasn’t whether they would win, but rather how they’d celebrate the milestone in the locker room afterward.
But then came the collapse.
By the final buzzer, UCLA wasn’t celebrating—it was reeling from one of its most gut-wrenching losses in recent memory. Minnesota clawed its way back, handing the Bruins a stunning 64-61 defeat at Pauley Pavilion. Instead of hitting the 500-win mark, Cronin was left stuck at 499, visibly frustrated and searching for answers.
“Hugely disappointing effort,” Cronin said, summing up the night in the bluntest way possible. “That’s really all I’ve got to say.”
Of course, true to form, he had plenty more to say.
The Bruins (19-8, 10-6 Big Ten) didn’t just lose—they unraveled, plagued by defensive breakdowns and a brutal stretch at the free-throw line. They missed 10 free throws in the second half, including their last six attempts and the front ends of two one-and-one situations.
Cronin didn’t hold back in assessing his team’s issues, blaming their focus on scoring rather than playing tough, defensive-minded basketball.
“It’s a losing mentality,” he said. “To worry about whether your shot goes in or how many points you have.”
Garcia, who had been neutralized in the first half, erupted in the second. He torched UCLA for 27 of his 32 points after halftime, single-handedly leading the Golden Gophers (14-12, 6-9) to a comeback win. The Bruins, meanwhile, lost their defensive discipline.
“Just stopped following the scouting report on him,” UCLA guard Kobe Johnson admitted. “You know, I thought we followed it pretty well in the first half, but the second half, we kinda just let him get comfortable and let him really do whatever he wanted.”
Adding to UCLA’s struggles, multiple players couldn’t find their shooting touch. Eric Dailey Jr. made only three of his 10 attempts, and Dylan Andrews was ice cold, finishing just 1-for-6 from the field. The shooting woes seemed to spill over into their defense, leading to lapses that cost them dearly.
The defining moment came in the final 17 seconds. Clinging to a one-point lead, UCLA had a chance to put the game away at the free-throw line. Dailey stepped up—but missed both attempts. The crowd groaned, a reaction that did not go unnoticed by Cronin.
“Our crowd, they make it worse,” Cronin said, imitating the fans’ exasperated sounds. “When a guy misses a free throw, I mean, the stress in Pauley’s crazy when a guy—‘Uhhh, uhhh.’ I mean, the guy’s not trying [to miss]—how about help the guy? How about cheer for the guy?”
Minnesota capitalized immediately. Lu’cye Patterson, seeing an opening, drove past Skyy Clark for a go-ahead layup with 4.9 seconds left. Another defensive lapse, another costly mistake.
“Twenty-five’s a put-his-head-down-and-drive guy,” Cronin said, referencing Patterson’s jersey number. “The guy guarding him acted like he didn’t know it, pressuring him 10 feet outside the three-point line for no reason, and there’s no help, there’s no rotation.”
With the game slipping away, Sebastian Mack had a chance to make one last play. Moments earlier, he had put UCLA ahead with a driving layup that took a few friendly bounces before falling through the net. This time, he wasn’t so lucky. Mack charged into Patterson with 1.7 seconds left, drawing an offensive foul. Minnesota sealed the deal with two free throws from Garcia, and Andrews’ desperation heave from three-quarters court fell way short.
A night that started with so much promise had ended in bitter disappointment.
“You win eight out of nine,” Cronin said, referencing UCLA’s strong stretch before this game, “and you lose humility. You start worrying about everything but defense. I’ve got guys in that locker room worried about shooting. You worry about shooting, you worry about your points, whether your shot goes in instead of worrying about playing defense and getting a ‘W’—and that’s what happened tonight.”
One of the most puzzling aspects of the game was Cronin’s handling of center Aday Mara. In his limited time on the court, Mara delivered some of the game’s most electric plays—a putback dunk and a dazzling bounce-pass assist to Andrews that lit up the highlight reel. But despite his impact, he remained glued to the bench late in the game.
Mara finished with four points, one assist, one block, and one steal in just 13 minutes. His two turnovers likely contributed to his limited minutes, but given UCLA’s struggles, many were left questioning why he wasn’t given more of a chance.
As the dust settled, the realization hit hard—this wasn’t just a bad loss. It was the kind of defeat that could impact UCLA’s NCAA tournament seeding. A win would have kept them firmly in control of their destiny. Instead, they’re left searching for answers at a critical point in the season.
“It’s unacceptable,” UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau said, summing up the mood. “But you know, nothing we can do about it now. We just gotta focus on the next one.”
That’s all they can do. But for Cronin and his players, the sting of this loss will linger for a while.
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