UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Recapping Bruins' Win Over Ohio State

Our latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast recaps the Bruins' home win over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday afternoon. Coach Mick Cronin earns his 500th career win as the Bruins move into fifth place in Big Ten play.

Feb 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes forward Devin Royal (21) and UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) reach for a rebound during the first quarter at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (20-8, 11-6) earned an eight-point win over the Ohio State Buckeyes (15-13, 7-10) at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday afternoon. It was the second-to-last home game for the Bruins as they honored the late great Bill Walton and delivered with a clutch 69-61 win.

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, UCLA Bruins On SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh breaks down the Bruins' bounce-back win, boosting their home record to 14-2. It also marked Coach Mick Cronin's 500th win as a head coach in Division I college basketball.

You can watch the episode below:

Both teams got out to a sloppy start and were never able to make the offense a strong point of the game. The Bruins won the ballgame for their sensational defense and rebounding skills. They held the Buckeyes to one of their lowest points total of the year while out-rebounding them by 11.

15 offensive rebounds for the Bruins led to 14 second-chance points that helped push UCLA over the hump in the final stretch of the game. The Buckeyes hung around for the entire contest, but the Bruins found a way to score just enough to earn their 20th win of the season.

Sophomore forward Eric Dailey Jr. was the star of the afternoon, scoring a team-high 20 points with eight rebounds and two steals. He had gone five straight games with less than 10 points and finally was able to get back to high-scoring ways.

Senior guard Kobe Johnson struggled to score after four straight games in double figures. He mustered just 3 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds while adding four assists and three steals.

The Bruins shot 40.4% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. They hit eight 3-pointers, which is above their game average. After a tough performance at the free-throw line in their latest loss to Minnesota, UCLA shot a strong 15-20 (75%) from the charity stripe.

Other notable performances came from junior guard Skyy Clark, pouring in 13 points with a dagger 3-pointer in the final minute. Sophomore guard Sebastian Mack and sophomore center Aday Mara were strong off the bench. Mack netted 11 points, while Mara had 10 with nine rebounds.

The Bruins will get four days off before they battle the struggling No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers (19-9, 11-6) on the road Friday night. Sunday's win solidifies UCLA's spot in the NCAA Tournament, but a strong seed could be had if it defeats a Purdue team that has lost its last four contests.

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