Ohio State tried and failed to beat UCLA at its own game Sunday.
The Bruins, who allow the fewest points per game in the Big Ten (64.7), held Ohio State (15-13, 7-10 Big Ten) to an abhorrent 31.7% from the field in a 69-61 UCLA (20-8, 11-6) home win in Pauley Pavilion.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 24 | 37 | 61 |
| UCLA | 28 | 41 | 69 |
Forward Eric Dailey Jr. starred for the Bruins, racking up 20 points to lead all scorers. UCLA collected six blocks and seven steals on the defensive end of the floor.
Star point guard Bruce Thornton put forth a great effort in the loss for Ohio State, picking up 21 points. He had little support, however, as guard Micah Parrish was the only other Buckeye to hit double figures with 12 points.
First Half
UCLA and head coach Mick Cronin are known for stingy defense, and that made for a grueling start to the game as both teams converted and-one layups in the first four minutes. The Bruins jumped out to an 8-2 lead before Royal revved up his offense with a dunk through a foul to make it 8-7.
What ensued was a hideous stretch of basketball. Neither team scored for more than four minutes despite multiple fast-break opportunities for both sides. It was a microcosm of a first half where Ohio State shot 27.3% from the field, UCLA shot 32.4% and the two teams combined for 12 turnovers. An exchange of threes from Parrish and Mack finally closed the scoreless stretch.
The Bruins broke through some nip-and-tuck play with a plodding 7-0 run that took 3:40 to complete, five points coming off Dailey's hand. Thornton retorted with five points of his own surrounding an additional Dailey triple, but a Lazar Stefanovic floater that rolled in as the shot clock expired held UCLA's lead at two scores.
That edge bounced between one and two possessions two more times before the half closed. A split of Bruin free throws fittingly ended an ugly first half with a 28-24 UCLA lead.
Sean Stewart picked up three fouls in five first-half minutes for Ohio State, adding to the team's frontcourt depth issues with Aaron Bradshaw out for a second straight game. Centers Ivan Njegovan and Austin Parks were a combined 0-for-3 from the floor with four rebounds in 11 minutes filling in for Stewart during the opening 20 minutes.
Second Half
Broadcaster Ian Eagle called Dailey a "terror" at the first media timeout of the second half, and the adjective was warranted. The Bruin emerged from the locker room and scored his squad's first nine points of the second half, answering a deep John Mobley Jr. 3-pointer by sparking an 8-0 UCLA run to go up 39-30.
Ohio State responded with a 7-0 run to get right back into the thick of the game, getting five points from a less likely source in Ques Glover, who converted a pair of gorgeous layups, the second coming after nifty dribbling weaved through three defenders.
A deep 3-pointer from guard Skyy Clark as the shot clock expired expanded UCLA's lead back to seven points, Thornton answered with his own distance make but a dunk and an and-one layup from center Aday Mara made it 48-40 with 10:24 remaining. Thornton stopped the bleeding with a floater but a UCLA triple made it a nine-point margin once more.
Two free throws from Bruin forward Tyler Bilodeau gave his team its first double-digit lead of the contest coming out of the under-eight media timeout. The Buckeyes never cut the lead back below six points.
A 6-0 UCLA run stuck a dagger in Ohio State as the clock ticked under three minutes and the Bruins coasted out to a 69-61 win.
What's Next
Ohio State concludes its two-game trip to Los Angeles when it plays USC on the road Wednesday. Tipoff is at 10:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
Game Notes
- UCLA received 56 votes in the most recent AP Poll, the third-most among teams that didn't make the rankings.
- Ohio State is still battling illness as a team, with Bradshaw missing Sunday's contest. Mobley and Stewart were both questionable due to illness before the game and likely had their conditioning hindered in some way, though Stewart only played 12 minutes with his foul trouble.
- It was Bill Walton day at UCLA as the Bruins honored the basketball legend, Hall of Famer and broadcaster who was an alum of the school. Walton died at the age of 72 last May.
- The win was the 500th of Cronin's career.
