What Went Right for UCLA in First Round Win

The No. 7-seeded UCLA Bruins earned a massive 25-point win over the No. 10-seeded Utah State Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. There were several positives that must be identified from one of the Bruins' best showings of the season.

Mar 20, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) reacts on the bench during the second half against the Utah State Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The No. 7-seeded UCLA Bruins (23-10) earned a monumental victory on Thursday night, defeating the No. 10-seeded Utah State Aggies (26-8), 72-47. It was one of the most impressive and well-rounded performances of the Bruins' season, with three major keys pushing them into the Round of 32.

Red Hot Shooting

For a team that is not prolific on offense, shooting 46% from the field and 35.4% from 3-point range, the Bruins exceeded all expectations against Utah State.

They were 26-54 (48%) from the field while knocking down 10 3-point shots on 24 attempts (41.7%). This team started the game with back-to-back 3s from junior guard Dylan Andrews while Skyy Clark added four more throughout the contest.

Ball Rotation - Assists

A major factor as to why the Bruins were so sound offensively and made so many shots was due to their ball rotation and crisp passing. UCLA earned assists on 22 of their 26 made field goals, which is downright absurd.

Andrews led the team with a season-high eight assists, being the ultimate floor general for UCLA. Besides Andrews, there were four other Bruins that totaled more than one assist in the win. Guys were making the right passes to the open man and knocking down the shots through all 40 minutes.

Defensive Prowess

The Bruins were stacking up against the Mountain West's No. 1 offense, shooting 49% from the field and ranked inside the top 50 in the country in points per game (79.9). Despite those impressive stats from Utah State, the Bruins played their style of defense and suffocated the Aggies.

A pitiful 30% from the field led to just 18 made shots on 60 total attempts for the Aggies. They were also 4-31 from downtown, good for 12.9%. Perimeter defense was on point while sophomore center Aday Mara and company controlled the paint. Mara finished with five blocks in the win as well.

The Bruins are meeting the No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers in the second round, seeking to reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth time since 2021. If they follow the blueprint they used in the Round of 64, they have a strong chance at the upset.

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