UCLA relies on defense to fuel rout of Cal State Fullerton
LOS ANGELES — UCLA enjoyed its most efficient outside shooting night on Wednesday, but regressed on Friday night as many of the Bruins’ half-court possessions concluded with forced jump shots. They shot 6 for 18 from behind the arc.
Head coach Mick Cronin was encouraged by that offensive outburst against Idaho State, but stated that the Bruins “became everything I despised,” in the final 10 minutes of that game as ball movement went extinct. That tunnel vision spilled over into Friday’s first half, as the Bruins settled for contested jumpers and let Cal State Fullerton stick around, again relying on their defensive pressure to create offense in an 80-47 win.
Kobe Johnson led that charge racking up a season-high six steals, while leading the Bruins (5-1) with 12 points. Eric Dailey Jr. and Tyler Bilodeau each added 11 and while Johnson led the Bruins in scoring, Bilodeau was really the Bruins’ only consistent source of offense in the half-court.
Dylan Andrews did return to the starting lineup for the first time since UCLA’s loss to New Mexico on Nov. 8 to hit a pair of 3-pointers, but Bilodeau has been carrying the Bruins in the half court for the most part of this season, especially in a game like Friday’s, when Sebastian Mack was off (four points, 1 for 7 from the field).
Davis Bynum and Keith Richards each had 10 points for Cal State Fullerton, which shot just 28.8% from the field to go with 21 turnovers. The Titans (1-5) went on an 8-2 run in the first half to cut UCLA’s advantage to four and did a good job of clogging the paint, but they closed the half by missing 11 of 12 shots from the field as the Bruins began to pull away.
Fullerton grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, which seemed to displease Cronin, who has harped on the Bruins’ inability to protect the defensive glass as an early season issue. He mentioned on Wednesday that he wants to play Bilodeau, Dailey, and William Kyle III simultaneously, a lineup that could mask some of those issues, but he has yet to deploy that lineup.
It could be because that configuration would land Johnson on the bench and with the way he played Friday, nobody wants that.
Johnson made his presence felt on the defensive side. He instinctively stepped into passing lanes, coming up with steals that led to high-percentage shots on the other end. His defensive awareness is so heightened that he often predicts where the offensive player is going to throw the ball before even they know.
It’s a function of his feel for the game, which translates to his passing. He’s a weapon in transition because he creates turnovers and then finds teammates streaking down the court. He set up Kyle for a fast-break layup that gave the Bruins their first 20-plus-point lead (they led by as much as 38), and later split two defenders with a bounce pass to Aday Mara for a dunk.
After playing just two minutes on Wednesday, Mara played 13 minutes and had 10 points. He didn’t turn the ball over, immediately, which is what Cronin said got him benched on Wednesday.
Cronin directed frustrations toward Mack, who after a season-high 21-point performance, reverted to tendencies present during his freshman season. He forced a trio of floaters in the first half, each of which fell short, earning him an earful from Cronin. While it’s just one ball game, it’s notable because Mack began last season confident on offense before his efficiency dropped as defenses adjusted.
A similar trend would hurt the Bruins, this season, as they’re still fishing for production from the guard spot and working through those half-court offense woes.
UCLA plays another nonconference home game against Southern Utah on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Fullerton plays at Pepperdine on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
More to come on this story.