Indiana fell 72-68 to UCLA on Friday night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The loss was the fourth straight in Bloomington for the Hoosiers. Indiana is now 15-11 overall and 6-9 in Big Ten play.
Here are five takeaways from the loss to the Bruins:
Indiana fails to capitalize on another late-game opportunity at home
For a third straight home game, Indiana needed to make a play late to win.
The Hoosiers didn’t capitalize against Maryland on January 26 or against Michigan on February 8. On Friday night against UCLA, Indiana had multiple chances to tie or take the lead in the final seconds. But the Hoosiers missed three shots in the final 12 seconds in their fourth straight loss in Bloomington.
Postgame, Mike Woodson didn’t have a clear answer for why his team continues to struggle late in games.
“I’m searching as the coach in terms of trying to get them over the finish line,” he said. “I’ll never put it on the player. I’ll take the responsibility. Even though I don’t make the shots or miss the defensive assignments, it’s still my job to get them over the hump.”
Now 2-8 in its last 10 games, Indiana’s inability to close out games will likely keep the program out of the NCAA tournament for a second straight season.
3-point shooting struggles continue
UCLA was committed to keeping the ball out of the hands of Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo in the post.
It was a sound strategy, as Indiana’s 3-point shooting continues to underwhelm in Big Ten play. In Friday’s loss, the Hoosiers were 7-for-29 from the perimeter, good for just 24.1 percent.
With 75 percent of the conference schedule completed, Indiana is shooting 31.1 percent from beyond the 3-point line, which ranks 17th in the Big Ten.
Although Mackenzie Mgbako and Luke Goode combined to score 30 points, the duo shot 4-for-18 on 3s.
If Indiana’s 3-point percentage holds, it will be the lowest 3-point shooting percentage for the program in Big Ten play since the 2018-19 season (27.5 percent).
UCLA stays hot from the perimeter
The Bruins were coming off a disappointing 83-78 loss at Illinois on Tuesday night, where they shot a sizzling 52.2 percent from the perimeter.
The hot perimeter shooting continued Friday night for Mick Cronin’s team.
With Indiana in a zone for a good chunk of the game, the Bruins successfully worked the ball around for favorable looks. And they capitalized.
UCLA shot 9-for-20 from distance. Six different Bruins made triples, including a 3-for-3 performance from Skyy Clark, who finished with 11 points.
UCLA’s win on Friday snapped its winless streak in Big Ten games played outside the West Coast. Before Friday, the Bruins were 0-4, with losses to Nebraska, Maryland, Rutgers, and Illinois.
Indiana played from behind all night after a poor first half
Slow starts have been a problem frequently this season and Friday night was no different.
After the Hoosiers led 10-9 early, UCLA outscored Indiana 26-15 the remainder of the first half to claim a 10-point advantage of the break. IU shot just 32.1 percent in the first half and scored only .84 points per possession.
“We just played so poorly the first half and spotted them 10 points,” Woodson said postgame. “And they had a lot to do with that.”
Woodson is correct that UCLA had a lot to do with Indiana’s poor first half. The Bruins were sharp defensively and held the Hoosiers without a field from the 16:16 mark to the 8:34 mark.
While UCLA didn’t force as many turnovers as it typically does, the Bruins made Indiana run offense in the half court, which was often a struggle. The Hoosiers scored just four fast break points.
Inconsistent guard play continues to plague Indiana
Woodson and the coaching staff have been searching for consistency from the backcourt all season. Friday’s performances were the latest example of IU’s guard play coming up short in a key spot.
Anthony Leal, who remains in the starting lineup because of his defense and ability to limit mistakes with the ball, isn’t a big enough threat offensively to keep defenses honest. Leal is effective because he consistently makes winning plays but rarely looks to score. He finished with two points in 20 minutes.
Trey Galloway recently reentered the starting lineup. He filled the stat sheet with six rebounds and six assists, but was just 2-for-7 from the field and 1-for-5 on 3s. Galloway is now 16-for-62 (25.8 percent) on 3s in Big Ten games.
Myles Rice had one stretch of strong offensive play, a 3-pointer and an acrobatic layup in the second half, but missed his other six shots in 24 minutes. An All-Pac 12 first-team player last season, Rice is now coming off the bench.
And Kanaan Carlyle, who hasn’t played the last four games, reappeared briefly in the first half and made a 3-pointer in four minutes. After beginning the season in the starting lineup, Carlyle is virtually unplayable.
Indiana’s guard play isn’t good enough to win games against the top competition in the Big Ten.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
Filed to: UCLA Bruins
