The Minute After: UCLA

Thoughts on a 72-68 loss to UCLA:

Indiana had the 2-3 zone rocking again. Mackenzie Mgbako was getting buckets early, too.

But as the first half rolled along, UCLA’s elite defense started to put the clamps down. After a Mgbako bucket at the 16:16 mark, Indiana didn’t make another basket until Oumar Ballo put one home with 8:34 to go, a field-goal drought of 7:42. And unlike Michigan State, the Bruins weren’t as stymied by Indiana’s zone. The Hoosiers didn’t stick with it, returning to man-to-man defense for much, though not all of, the rest of the contest.

Aday Mara, all 7-foot-3 of him, was a one-man highlight reel in his eight minutes of first-half action. Mara made his presence felt on both sides of the ball, scoring six points, blocking two shots and dishing out a nice assist on a Trent Perry bucket.

Indiana’s offense continued to struggle and the first-half numbers weren’t pretty. The Hoosiers scored just 25 points on .84 points per possession. As the Bruins showed more pressure and double-teaming on Ballo and Malik Reneau, the Hoosiers couldn’t capitalize on the 3-point looks they found out of it. Indiana finished the first half just 2-of-13 (15.4 percent) from deep and trailed by 10 at half (35-25).

IU turned it up in the second half. The rebounding was better. Luke Goode heated up (14 second-half points on 5-of-7 shooting) as he scored at all three levels. But every time the Hoosiers threatened to get within a possession, UCLA had an answer. Indiana worked it to a four-point deficit on five occasions in the second half before the final minute of action. Each time, the Bruins scored points to fend off IU’s comebacks.

It looked like UCLA would walk away with this one as Sebastian Mack grabbed a rebound off a Goode missed 3-pointer with 1:18 to go and the Bruins up seven (70-63). But as Anthony Leal fouled Mack, Mack tossed an elbow into his face. Upon review, Mack was charged with a technical foul and Leal a common foul. Mack missed the front end of his 1-and-1. Goode sunk both free throws for Indiana and the Hoosiers got the ball.

Myles Rice took an ill-advised long 2 on that possession. Goode then had to foul Dylan Andrews to try and extend the game. Andrews missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Mgbako found Reneau for a bucket on IU’s ensuing possession. Reneau was fouled and made the free throw for a 3-point play, the Hoosiers finally getting it within a possession at 70-68 with 53 seconds to play. Mack missed a driving lay-up on the other end and Rice and Leal were able to tie up Skyy Clark on the rebound with the possession arrow favoring Indiana.

Rice took another questionable shot, a mid-range one off the right baseline that missed for Indiana. Mgbako had a point-blank putback on Rice’s miss that didn’t drop, but IU retained possession as the ball went out of bounds off UCLA.

Out of the baseline out-of-bounds play, Mgbako worked to get open in the left corner for a 3-pointer, getting another great look on a go-ahead shot. But it, like his putback, just couldn’t find the net. UCLA grabbed the rebound, and this time, Andrews hit both of the free throws to give UCLA the victory at 72-68.

“I wish I had the answer,” Mike Woodson said after the game on Indiana’s close losses this season. “I go back to the Northwestern game. The Maryland game. The Purdue game. The Michigan game. They’re all winnable games.”

Tonight’s loss is Indiana’s fourth straight at home. It was another shot at a Quad 1 win that the Hoosiers couldn’t finish. Another one presents itself next weekend against Purdue.

But time is running out on the season. If Indiana can’t string some wins together soon, it’ll be curtains on its chances to make the Big Dance.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

Category: The Minute After

Filed to: UCLA Bruins