UCLA can’t keep pace in second half during loss at Maryland

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UCLA guard Trent Perry (1) drives to the basket against Maryland forward Tafara Gapare (6) during the first half Friday night. (Terrance Williams / Associated Press)

Three days after calling his players “soft” and “delusional” in their estimation of their abilities, Mick Cronin wasn’t around to offer a final assessment Friday night.

The UCLA coach was in the locker room, having been ejected with five minutes and 14 seconds left after receiving two rapid-fire technical fouls with his unraveling team down by nine points.

It wasn’t the final indignity for his team. Far from it.

UCLA couldn’t get out of its own way inside the Xfinity Center, the No. 22 Bruins stumbling to a 79-61 loss to Maryland that represented a season-worst third consecutive defeat.

Being soft wasn’t the primary problem on this night. Holding on to the ball or throwing a pass without it being stolen were the big challenges confronting the Bruins.

UCLA committed 21 turnovers, tying its worst showing of the season, while getting outmuscled by another team. If this was a crossroads, then the Bruins (11-5 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) certainly took the wrong turn.

Read more: Hernández: UCLA coach Mick Cronin rips his players, a controversial move that has sparked wins

Forward Tyler Bilodeau scored 18 points and guard Trent Perry added 10 off the bench, becoming the only Bruins to reach double figures on a night the team shot 41.5% to Maryland’s 54%. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led the Terrapins (12-4, 2-3) with 27 points.

In need of a confidence boost, UCLA’s Dylan Andrews followed a pull-up jumper with a tough turnaround baseline jumper to pull his team within 53-47 with 12:36 left.

But a flurry of turnovers followed and an irate Cronin was quickly tossed after apparently voicing his displeasure with the referees.

It was only a little more than two years ago that UCLA came here and bludgeoned the Terrapins, leading by as many as 30 points in the first half of a runaway victory. That sort of showing felt like a…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ucla-cant-keep-pace-second-032411309.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2025-01-11 03:24:00

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