UCLA drops Big Ten matchup to No. 25 Iowa 74-61

UCLA was back in action today as they faced No. 25 Iowa. The Bruins had 11 days off from their last game against UC Riverside. So, it gave them a lot of time to work on any weaknesses that they had. Unfortunately, that was not displayed today and the Bruins put together a poor effort losing 74-61 against the Hawkeyes. UCLA with the loss moved to 10-4 on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten play. Had they won this game they would’ve more than certainly creeped back into the top 25.

UCLA was able to shoot a decent 45% from the floor. But went 3-14 from 3-point range and had their free throw woes creep back up as they shot 67% on the day. Iowa shot 47% from the floor and although they struggled from 3-point range. They made 22-26 free throws and were able to convert those easy points. They also controlled the rebound battle 32-27. Iowa led 94% of the game with UCLA never leading again after being up 4-2.

The positive on the day is Donovan Dent had his best game as a Bruin. He was 12-19 from the floor and had 25 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Showing he needed the break as much as anyone. Allowing him to recover from minor injuries that have plagued him on the season. The only other player that was able to hit double digits was Tyler Bilodeau with 10 points. The next highest scorer was Trent Perry off the bench with seven. Those three combined for 42 of the 61 points.

This was not a good showing out of the break for UCLA. Their schedule will not get any easier as well as they navigate the Big Ten. Wisconsin who is 9-4 on the season is up next. They have two really good guards that could give UCLA issues in Nick Boyd and John Blackwell. Who combine for 37.4 points per game in the backcourt. As we approach the halfway mark of the season, we are still trying to figure out the identity of this UCLA team.