Bruins Earn Third-Straight Win With Impressive Shooting Over Idaho State

UCLA improved to 4-1 on the year with a convincing win on Wednesday night, defeating the Idaho State Bengals at home. Its best shooting performance of the season has proven this team can shoot the lights out with multiple players.

Nov 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) shoots over Boston University Terriers forward Matai Baptiste (0) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (4-1) remained undefeated on John Wooden Court this season with an 84-70 win over Idaho State on Wednesday night. It was their best shooting game of the season so far and showed that there is a very high ceiling for this group come conference play.

A wire-to-wire victory for the Bruins was earned due to 57.4% shooting from the field and 64.3% from 3-point range. Two different players scored 20+ en route to a 14-point win over the Bengals.

The Bruins dismantled a team that had competed very well with other high-level division-I programs early this season, losing to Arizona State by seven, and falling to Bruins' arch-rival USC by just one point. It was a convincing win for the group with a nearly flawless performance.

Leading scorer sophomore guard Sebastian Mack has only gotten better since his rough showing against New Mexico in the Bruins' second game of the season. He scored 21 points with just three made field goals. He was 15-of-16 from the free throw line, which was extremely impressive.

Bruins junior transfer forward Tyler Bilodeau had his best shooting game of the season, scoring 20 points, including a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. He was stepping out from deep and facing defenders in the paint, elevating for clean jump shots. Bilodeau added four rebounds to his stat line as well.

Another impressive performance from a transfer came from UCLA sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr., who did not miss in the first half, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 2-of-3 from 3. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy led the team with seven rebounds.

The Bruins did see struggles in a few familiar areas even with a double-digit win. The Bengals had 10 offensive rebounds that led to extra possessions and added points. The score likely should have been wider without that issue resurfacing.

The turnovers were a problem as well, giving the ball away 11 times, leading to 15 points off turnovers for the Bengals. Their season-low turnover total was nine last game against Lehigh, and Coach Mick Cronin must find a way to remedy that issue within his team.

There are three more games in the homestand for the Bruins, the final one being the tip-off of conference play. They will face Cal State Fullerton this Friday night, Southern Utah next Tuesday, and start their first year in the Big Ten with the Washington Huskies at Pauley Pavilion.

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