Bruins Can Compete For More Than Just Big Ten Title
![Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin calls out from the sidelines during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin calls out from the sidelines during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2191,h_1232,x_1292,y_25/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_bruins/01jga4zrs18nx241bptr.jpg)
The No. 22 UCLA Bruins (11-2) just earned their second ranked win of the season after earning a 65-62 victory over the No. 14 Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. The impressive win has proven that this team can compete for a national title.
The Bruins have now taken down two teams ranked inside the top 15, the Bulldogs and then-No. 12 Oregon Ducks earlier this month. They picked up another win over the Arizona Wildcats, which is another strong, blue-blood program around the college basketball realm.
Each one of those wins has one thing in common: they are all teams that will be competing for a national title come March. The Bruins have shown their ability to elevate their talent and scheme to beat some of the best teams in the nation, proving they could go all the way with this group.
UCLA has done a sensational job this year defending its opponents and has been able to lead opponents to underachieve offensively. Gonzaga was the number one scoring offense in the nation, posting 89.2 points per game, while the Bruins held them to just 62 total points.
When March Madness begins to roll around, the key to victory is being able to play defense and make plays in crunch time. The Bruins did all of those things perfectly against the Bulldogs on Saturday, making four straight free throws in the final seconds while forcing a few key misses.
The Bruins will play several ranked teams in their conference as Big Ten play resumes on Jan. 4 against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-2). There will be many more opportunities for this UCLA team to continue matching up against national tournament talent and proving they will be at the top.
With how this season is trending for the Bruins, they will be in the conversation for Big Ten regular season champion as well as a high seed in the March Madness national tournament that will take place in a few months.
If UCLA finds itself in a position to make a run for its first national title since 1995, it will surely play incredible defense, and some clutch shot making will propel it to a deep run and a potential Final Four appearance. It has all the tools to be kings of college basketball this year.
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