This post was updated Jan. 17 at 9:12 p.m.
Sometimes, all a team needs is the familiarity of its home court, its home fans and, most importantly, home rims.
In their last four contests, the Bruins went 18-for-85 from beyond the arc – a stark contrast from the 46.2% three-point percentage they garnered in the first half.
Breaking a four-game losing streak – and earning its first victory in 20 days – UCLA men’s basketball (12-6, 3-4 Big Ten) bulldozed Iowa (12-6, 3-4) by a score of 94-70 on Friday evening at Pauley Pavilion. Powering the Bruins to victory was their highest scoring first half since 2016, scoring 57 and holding the Hawkeyes to just 24.
“The team was just really hungry. We had a lot of guys in the gym these past few days after our trip back,” said junior guard Skyy Clark. “We had a day off, but I walk in the gym to go get shots up and I see E (sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr.) and Will (junior forward William Kyle III) and Kobe (senior guard Kobe Johnson) is in the gym, Baz (sophomore guard Sebastian Mack) is in the gym. Even the dudes who don’t play, the walk-ons and the redshirts, they are in the gym.”
The X-factor throughout the contest was no other than Dailey, who managed a season-high 23 points on a 66.7% clip from the field to muster his fourth double-digit performance in the last five games.
Joining Dailey on the Bruins’ attack were junior forward Tyler Bilodeau and junior guard Dylan Andrews. The former – UCLA’s leading scorer with 14.4 points per game – went 8-for-10 from the field, notching 18 points and three rebounds, a staggering upgrade from the Bruins’ most recent outing where Bilodeau went 0-for-7 from the field.
Andrews similarly broke through a slump – though his had lingered far longer than Bilodeau’s. He strung together his best game in exactly one month, when he garnered 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting in a victory over Prairie View A&M.
Despite going 6-for-30 in his last six games – and conceding 10 turnovers in the process – Andrews logged 13 points and three assists on 55.6% efficiency from the field and 60% from range.
“We (Andrews and Clark) have always talked about teaming up together, so I know what he’s capable of doing,” Clark said. “He had a great week of practice and he’s been in the gym, and it shows. So we are all super happy for him and I know he’s going to continue.”
What really solidified it though, was the return of the Bruins’ hallmark defense. The Hawkeyes entered the matchup shooting 51% from the field and 39.8% from beyond the arc, ranking second and first in the Big Ten, respectively. Despite struggling to contain opponents as of late – surrendering at least 75 points in four of its last six affairs – the Bruins limited the Hawkeyes to a 44.7% clip from the field and 37.5% percentage from deep.
UCLA clamped on Iowa’s principle scoring threats, silencing the forward duo of Payton Sandfort and Owen Freeman – who averaged 16.2 and 16.7 points per game, respectively – but combined for just 13 points on a frigid 3-for-7 shooting. The Bruins also forced 15 turnovers while giving the ball away only seven times themselves.
With a double-digit lead for essentially the entirety of Friday’s battle, the Bruins gave their depth opportunities to shine. Glowing the brightest was Kyle, who played his highest minute total of the season with 27 minutes and scored a season-high 12 points along with four rebounds.
“Will was playing so well, there’s a thing in basketball – I love it – you want minutes? How about earn them,” said coach Mick Cronin. “Will deserved to keep playing. He made me keep him in. He played great. We need him. The Big Ten is a big, strong league, and that’s what we went out and got him for.”
The contest also featured an improvement in the Bruins’ rebounding game. After getting out-rebounded in eight of its last 10 matchups, UCLA prioritized the glass against Iowa, garnering 29 rebounds and restricting the Hawkeyes to 10 fewer.
“I feel like our mindset shifted,” Dailey said. “I know we hit a wall as a team with these four games before. I encouraged guys to just be confident in themselves, and it looks like it worked, so I’m going to keep doing that.”
The Bruins will return to Pauley Pavilion to face Wisconsin on Tuesday, the first day students will be back to in-person instruction after two days of canceled classes and a week of remote learning due to the fires across Los Angeles County.
