UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Recapping Bruins' Tournament Win Over Utah State

Our latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast recaps the Bruins' dominant win over the Utah State Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins move on to face the No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers in the Round of 32.

Mar 20, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) reacts during the second half against the Utah State Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The No. 7 UCLA Bruins (23-10) earned a dominant 72-47 win over the No. 10 Utah State Aggies (26-8) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. A wire-to-wire victory advances the Bruins into the second round to face the No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers (28-7).

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, UCLA Bruins On SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh breaks down the Bruins' epic victory over the Aggie to move into the second round for the fourth straight time as tournament participants.

You can watch the episode below:

It was a wire-to-wire win for the Bruins, expanding on their 12-point halftime lead to win by 25. An all-around showing from the entire roster held the Aggies to just 30% from the field, 12.9% from 3, and an extremely low point total of 47.

UCLA received an all-around performance from most of its roster. It shot an impressive 48.1% (26-54) from the field, 41.7% (10-24) from 3-point land, and a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. It was one of their better offensive performances, complimenting the defense.

Bruins junior guard Skyy Clark was the most impressive scorer, posting a team-high 14 points with four 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. had a strong bounce back showing with 14 points of his own and four rebounds.

Sophomore center Aday Mara came up big with 10 points, six rebounds, and five blocks. He affected even more shots than the stat sheet shows, being a crucial piece to the Bruins' win. Junior guard Dylan Andrews earned a season-high eight assists, adding 8 points.

Senior guard Kobe Johnson did not light up the scoreboard but was a difference maker, grabbing eight rebounds with four assists and 8 points. Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau came through with nine points and seven assists, earning a bounce-back performance from the Big Ten tournament.

Coach Mick Cronin is now 4-0 in Round of 64 games in his six-year tenure with the Bruins. He has brought this program to the Sweet 16 three times and is one win away from making it a fourth.

The Bruins will square off with the Volunteers on Saturday night in Lexington, Kentucky. Despite being the underdog seed, UCLA matches up extremely well with one of the best teams in the country. Defense and rebounding will be major keys while consistent scoring is required once again.

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