PISCATAWAY, NJ -- The Bruins skid continues as UCLA (11-6, 2-4) dropped a hard fought matchup to Rutgers (9-8, 2-4) 75-68 Monday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
The first half was an even exchange between the Big Ten foes despite the Bruins’ strong start. UCLA won the tip off and quickly went up 7-0, but Rutgers remained tenacious, making their next four shots to come within three of the Bruins.
Rutgers stayed on the Bruins’ tail throughout the first half. While the Bruins repelled them several times, and entered halftime with the advantage 33-30, the Scarlet Knights were not deterred. Rutgers tied the game twice in the first half, but never claimed the lead.
The lead that the Bruins fought so earnestly to defend in the first half disappeared almost immediately in the second. Rutgers took off on a 8-0 run to open the second half and took their first lead of the night, 35-33, with 19:04 remaining.
The second half was a true mirror to the first. This time, Rutgers held the lead and it was now UCLA’s turn to play catch up. While the Bruins never trailed in the first half, Rutgers never trailed in the second after taking the lead for the first time.
Rutgers’ freshman guard Ace Bailey was a powerhouse for Rutgers, scoring 20 points on 7-13 shooting. Bailey was one part of the dynamic duo for the Scarlet Knights that led the way Monday night alongside fellow freshman guard Dylan Harper.
Harper, the Big Ten scoring leader, played up to his reputation, scoring 18, the second most of any player behind his teammate Bailey, and combined with Bailey for over half of Rutgers’ points.
However, Harper ran into foul trouble that kept him near the bench, especially in the second half, where he sat on the precipice of ejection with four fouls.
Rutgers had the clear advantage over UCLA, not just at field goals overall, but especially at the free throw line.
The Scarlet Knights had made nine free throws in a row at one point in the second half, a literal game changer in a game whose score was so tightly decided. They finished the game 21-31 from free throws, scoring more from the penalty line than UCLA even attempted.
As the minutes dwindled, the Bruins slowly worked their way up the scoreboard. An 8-0 scoring run did wonders for the Bruins and put them just one point behind Rutgers, 63-62, with roughly two minutes left to play.
Free throws for Bailey and Harper in the final seconds gave the Scarlet Knights all the insurance they needed to hold on and close out the game to deliver the Bruins their season-worst fourth straight loss.
UCLA falls to 2-4 in conference play with the loss, a stark difference from their strong 10-1 start to the regular season. Their transition to the Big Ten conference has proved to be a rocky one.
The Bruins look to right the ship with a trip home to Pauley Pavilion and a matchup against Iowa Friday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. PT.