UCLA-Michigan basketball takeaways from Big Ten game

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — They weren’t half bad.

Unfortunately for the UCLA Bruins, games last 40 minutes.

After nearly matching second-ranked Michigan in the opening 20 minutes, the Bruins went splat over the latter half of what they hoped would be a showcase game.

What everyone watching on national television saw, at least in the second half, wasn’t flattering.

The Bruins couldn’t sustain the toughness they displayed early in falling, 86-56, Saturday at the Crisler Center to end a modest two-game winning streak.

“We just collapsed, to be honest,” UCLA guard Trent Perry said after leading his team with 14 points. “There’s no really other way to explain it. We got 30-pieced in their home gym.”

UCLA lost the huge edge in rebounding it had built and couldn’t get nearly enough stops, the Wolverines making 11 of 12 shots at one point and shooting 78.3% in the second half.

“The worst of my career, and I don’t have to look it up, I can promise you that,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said of giving up such a high percentage in a half.

Michigan’s Aday Mara tortured his old team with a slew of plays that had the sellout crowd buzzing. On the game’s first possession, he threw a behind-the-back pass along the baseline to Morez Johnson Jr. for a layup. Mara added a reverse dunk off a lob in the second half as the Wolverines eventually surged ahead by as many as 30 points.

It was difficult to remember that the Bruins (17-8, 9-5 Big Ten) had trailed only 40-38 at halftime after outrebounding the Wolverines (24-1, 14-1) by 10 and making 5 of 11 3-pointers.

None of those trends held up, the Bruins shooting 25.9% and making only 1 of 10 3s while getting outrebounded by 11 after halftime. Cronin said eight of the 3s his team missed in the second half were unguarded and grumbled about a lack of ball movement that could lead to a lineup change.

The return of guard Skyy Clark after a 10-game absence was one of few encouraging developments for the Bruins. Clark finished with eight points in 16 minutes off the bench.

It wasn’t nearly enough.

What does it mean?

This was a failed opportunity for UCLA to notch a victory that would get the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s attention after beating Purdue at home late last month. Other attempts against Arizona and Gonzaga had also fallen short, leaving the Bruins in bubble territory entering the weekend.

They desperately need to get at least one more Quad 1 victory – preferably two – to avoid sweating it out on Selection Sunday.

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Turning point

The Bruins had two chances to go ahead early in the second half, but Xavier Booker missed a pair of 3-pointers. It was a huge opportunity lost.

Mara then fed Nemari Burnett for a 3-pointer, sparking a 19-7 run for Michigan in which it made eight straight shots – including three 3-pointers. That gave the Wolverines a 59-45 lead with 12:27 left, essentially ending UCLA’s hopes of pulling off the massive upset.

MVP

As expected, UCLA had big problems with Michigan’s massive front line.

Many came against the player who spent his first two seasons as a Bruin.

Mara kept finding ways to punish the team he left, his highlight reel also including a lob to Johnson for a dunk in the game’s final minutes.

The 7-foot-3 Mara finished with nine points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks, each one reminding the Bruins what they’re missing.

Mara visited with his old team before the game, chatting with assistant coach Nemanja “Yogi” Jovanovic before getting a pat on the shoulder from Clark and hugging Eric Freeny.

“I was super excited this week, today, super happy,” Mara told the California Post, “that I was going to be able to see them again.”

Up next

It doesn’t get any easier for the Bruins, who will face No. 10 Michigan State on Tuesday at the Breslin Center. Then they’ll come home to play No. 8 Illinois on Feb. 21, ending their most brutal stretch of the regular season.