A second-half opponent run put the Bruins to bed in the Sin City.
No. 8 UCLA men’s basketball (3-1) fell 79-70 in its first ranked matchup of the season to No. 19 Illinois (3-1) at the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas on Friday. The Bruins led by as many as 15 in the second half, but the Fighting Illini took off on a 29-8 run to give them the advantage they would never relinquish.
Redshirt senior guard Tyger Campbell led UCLA on the scoreboard with 22 points. Senior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. matched Campbell in the 20-point column, scoring just that while playing nearly the entire game. Off the bench, fifth-year guard David Singleton chipped in 15 points.
While the seniors took charge, the freshmen were unable to replicate their upperclassmen’s performance in their first matchup on the road with the blue and gold. Forward Adem Bona and guards Amari Bailey and Dylan Andrews combined for only six points on 22.2% shooting from the field.
Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. erupted for 19 second-half points on 6-of-7 shooting from behind the arc, following a 10-rebound opening period performance. Shannon finished the contest with a game-high 29 points on 69.2% shooting from the field and 88.9% from deep.
After losing to Illinois, UCLA will face No. 5 Baylor on Sunday after the Bears fell to No. 16 Virginia earlier Friday evening.
