Quick takeaways from UCLA's win over Indiana in basketball

UCLA got a much-needed road win on Friday night to keep them in contention to win the Big Ten regular season title.

Many things need to happen for the Bruins to win the Big Ten title but they are still in the race due to them winning on the road against Indiana.

Here are some quick takeaways from UCLA's road win against the Hoosiers.

The game's final score indicates that this was a very close game but for most of the game, UCLA had a comfortable lead throughout.

No. 5: UCLA allowed Indiana to shoot from the outside and it ended up being a good strategy.

Indiana, late in the game, had opportunities to tie the game, but the Bruins focused on not allowing the Hoosiers to get shots in the paint or post, and it ended up working in UCLA's favor. Indiana shot seven for twenty-nine from beyond the arc for only 24.1%. Three Indiana starters, Mackenzie Mgbako, Trey Galloway, and Luke Goode combined for five for twenty-three three-pointers in this game.

No. 4: UCLA went ten deep this game and the bench's contribution helped the Bruins win this game.

The five Bruins that came off the bench combined for 27 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists. Last season, Sebastian Mack and Lazar Stefanovic started most of the games, and they have come off the bench for most of the games this season. They could have transferred in the off-season knowing their playing time was going to decrease, but they came back for another season, and both players made key baskets and grabbed timely rebounds to help UCLA win this game.

No. 3: Aday Mara, Kobe Johnson, and Trent Perry continue to improve, and all three were key factors in UCLA's win against Indiana.

The three players combined for 25 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. From the field, they successfully converted 10 out of 18 field goal attempts and three out of five shots from beyond the arc. They in total played a combined 57 minutes and they helped in key moments when Indiana was beginning to shrink UCLA's lead in the game.

No. 2: Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. were very efficient in this game.

In a combined 45 minutes of play from these two starters, they together made seven of nine field goal attempts and three for three from beyond the arc. In total, they contributed 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a block. What doesn't show up in the stat sheet was their hustle, defense on key Hoosier players, and diving for loose balls.

No. 1: Mick Cronin had an outstanding game plan that helped UCLA win this game.

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin saw what Indiana did to Michigan State and realized that he needed to have his team attack the Hoosier defense differently and defend the Hoosiers big men differently as well. The Bruins didn't allow the Indiana big men to get going until the very end of the game and clogged the lane and made Indiana take three-point shots. Cronin's game plan worked and Indiana, especially in the first half, did not make adjustments, which allowed the Bruins to hold the Hoosiers to only 25 first-half points. Cronin put his team in position to win this game and the UCLA players executed the game plan well.