Bruins Face Rough Reality of Big Ten Road Battles

The UCLA Bruins were handed their first conference loss of the season on Saturday afternoon and have now experienced the harsh reality of what it is like to play on the road in the Big Ten. Adapting to this style of play will determine this team's success.

Jan 4, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) looks to pass against Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Andrew Morgan (23) during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The No. 15 UCLA Bruins (11-3) just received their first taste of what Big Ten basketball on the road is really like. A 66-58 upset loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-2) on Saturday has now introduced the Bruins program to what it is like to be inside an opponent's hostile arena for a Big Ten battle.

Coming into the contest, the Bruins were already 2-0 in conference but had played two teams that they were very familiar with as prior members of the Pac-12 together. UCLA dispatched both No. 12 Oregon and the Washington Huskies but had yet to face a true, veteran Big Ten team.

The Cornhusker fans came out in droves, selling out Pinnacle Bank Arena, somewhere their team has not lost in 20-straight games. The Bruins were met with a deafening crowd alongside some of the most suffocating defense they had faced all season long.

15 total turnovers for the Bruins coupled with 17 points scored off those turnovers for Nebraska was a leading factor to the loss. UCLA did not do itself any favors when shooting the basketball, finishing 38.6% from the field and a pitiful 4-28 from 3-point range, good enough for 14.3%.

The Bruins were also met with 24 personal fouls compared to just 16 called on the Cornhuskers. There was a sense of chaos and discombobulation that propelled this team to commit more fouls, become overaggressive, and allow Nebraska to shoot 29 free throws and make 25 of them.

In the near future, the Bruins will have to face both Maryland and Rutgers on the road in back-to-back contests over a four-day span. Those are two of the tougher places to play in the conference and UCLA will be forced to make adjustments and handle the pressure of the opposing arena.

If UCLA wants to be a conference title team this season, it will have to learn how to execute accordingly on the road and deliver the crushing blow to a team that is feeding off its home crowd. The Bruins have the talent, they just need the mental toughness to push through those tough games.

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