UCLA
10-2,2-0Big Ten
North Carolina
7-5,1-0ACC
No. 18 UCLA Falls to North Carolina, 76-74
December 21, 2024 | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK โ The No. 18-ranked UCLA men's basketball team saw its nine-game winning streak come to an end, losing to North Carolina, 76-74, before a crowd of 19,812 on Saturday inside Madison Square Garden.
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The Bruins (10-2) led by as many as 16 points with just under 13 minutes remaining in the second half, but the Tar Heels (7-5) rallied in the final 11 minutes to escape with the victory.
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Tyler Bilodeau matched his career-high with 26 points and connected on 5 of 6 attempts from 3-point distance to pace UCLA on offense. He recorded his ninth game of the season scoring in double figures and his third game with 20 or more points. He finished 9-for-14 shooting, from the field.
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Also eclipsing the 20-point mark was Sebastian Mack, pouring in a season-best 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting. He nailed three of four attempts from 3-point range and was 7-for-8 from the free throw line.
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Skyy Clark contributed nine points while Lazar Stefanovic and William Kyle III each tallied six.
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"We missed eight free throws in the second half," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "We definitely missed the bonus on seven and eight, so eight missed free throws was really 10. We had at least 10 missed opportunities at the foul line in the second half of the game."
UCLA's Postgame Press Conferenceย
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Bilodeau had the hot hand to start the second half, draining three straight 3-pointers to kickstart a 14-3 scoring run and restore UCLA's double-digit advantage. Shortly after this surge, Bilodeau picked up his fourth personal foul and exited the game at the 11:45 mark.
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The Tar Heels out-scored the Bruins 30-15 for the remainder of the contest to eventually come away with the victory.
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UCLA held a one-point lead with 22 seconds remaining, but a turnover shortly after the ensuing inbound play gave North Carolina the opportunity to secure the win. On the next possession, UNC's RJ Davis was fouled and made both of his free throws to put his team out in front, 75-74. The Bruins had one final opportunity to take the lead with 10 seconds to play, but a drive into the lane and a shot by Mack was not successful.
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UCLA missed eight free throws during North Carolina's comeback in the second half.
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Bilodeau enjoyed a stellar start in the early minutes on Saturday afternoon, scoring UCLA's first 11 points. The junior knocked down four of his five attempts from the floor during the run, including a pair of 3-pointers to give UCLA an early cushion. Bilodeau concluded his first half with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
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North Carolina kept pace and closed the gap to two points at the under-12-minute media timeout. Consecutive triples from Mack and Skyy Clark fueled an 8-0 UCLA run coming out of the stoppage, but the Bruins would commit five turnovers over the next four minutes to all the Tar Heels back within five.
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Mack's hot shooting continued when he sunk back-to-back 3-pointers to push UCLA's lead into double figures. He added two more baskets and assisted on two William Kyle III dunks in the closing stages of the half.
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Mack led all scorers with 16 points in the opening half, sending the Bruins into the locker room with a 40-32 advantage.
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The Bruins will return to action against No. 13-ranked Gonzaga (9-3) on Saturday, Dec. 28, playing at Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Game time on Saturday is set for 1 p.m. (PT). UCLA's game will be nationally televised on FOX, with Jason Benetti and Jim Jackson calling the action. Fans can secure tickets to next Saturday's game by clicking here.
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