UCLA men’s basketball cruises past Maryland
LOS ANGELES — In reflection of UCLA’s recent two-game skid, head coach Mick Cronin’s greatest focus, he said, is to build a culture of toughness and getting defensive stops.
That process took a positive step Saturday as the Bruins (11-5, 3-2 Big Ten) allowed their lowest total of the season, in a 67-55 win over Maryland (7-9, 0-5).
The Terrapins shot 31% from the field and 19% from deep. They stayed in the game because they grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and turned it into 24 second-chance points, the Bruins’ only lapse, but a significant one.
Sophomore Trent Perry started in place of Skyy Clark (hamstring) for the second straight game and led the team with 16 points, his fourth time in double-digits in the last five games. Eric Dailey Jr. added 15 points.
As part of Cronin’s pursuit for an identity, he pledged to exhaust every angle, whether it be changing personnel, practice habits or schemes, to improve UCLA’s defense.
On Saturday, that manifested itself in a heavy commitment to the 2-3 zone, a scheme Cronin has seldom deployed across his lengthy career, but one the Bruins have relied on in spurts this season.
A 2-3 zone can mask defensive liabilities on a roster. It can expose poor shooting teams and increase the ball pressure — especially with how the Bruins extended their short-corner defenders. However, it can leave a defense susceptible on the offensive glass.
Each of those avenues played out.
Maryland grabbed seven offensive rebounds and scored 13 second-chance points in the first 10 minutes to take a slight lead. But then it flipped, as UCLA’s guards deflected passes, creating turnovers and finishing defensive possessions before offensive rebounding opportunities could happen. The Bruins closed the half on a 24-5 run, allowing Maryland one field goal in the final nine minutes.
Perry and Jamar Brown sparked the run. Perry hit a step-back 3-pointer and drove for an and-1 floater. Brown swished a shot from the corner and scored a layup off an inbound pass.
Sensing the surge, the Pauley Pavilion crowd urged the Bruins on and they rewarded it with highlight plays. Steven Jamerson II spun for a layup and Donovan Dent threw an alley-oop to Eric Dailey Jr. A layup and a turnaround jump shot from Dent extended the lead to 38-21 at halftime.
Holding a significant lead throughout the second half, the Bruins slowed the pace of the game, using the shot clock to their advantage. They worked into the double-bonus with eight minutes to play as Tyler Bilodeau hit a pair of free throws to make it a 13-point game.
That gradual tempo, however, meant any Bruins mistake was costly. Empty possessions stacked together and the Terrapins crept back into the game with a 10-2 run. Maryland’s George Turkson Jr. converted an and-1 off an offensive rebound. Digi Coit drove past Dent for another and-1 to make it 56-50.
At that point, the Bruins had gone without a field goal for 3:30, but Perry hit a corner 3-pointer to restore some cushion.
A culture of toughness, as Cronin put it, was a given with his teams of the past. The transfer portal era forces a coach to essentially reconstruct that each season. It’s certainly taking Cronin longer than he’d like, but UCLA made progress on Saturday.
The Bruins put a lid on the Terrapins’ rim and withstood a late surge.