Cronin: Bruins Were 'Lucky' To Exit With Upset Victory

The UCLA Bruins just earned their biggest win of the season, taking down the No.12 Oregon Ducks on the road. Coach Mick Cronin spoke postgame and said they were "lucky to get out of here" with the victory following the game-winning bank shot.
Dec 8, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin during the second half against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin during the second half against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
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The UCLA Bruins (8-1) picked up their first ranked win of the season after earning a 73-71 win over the No. 12 ranked Oregon Ducks (9-1) on Sunday afternoon in Eugene. Following the game-winning bank shot 3-pointer from junior Dylan Andrews,

Bruins coach Mick Cronin had a smile on his face as he spoke with Big Ten's Andy Katz on the court following the thrilling victory and was a bit critical of his guys' defensive play down the stretch, despite coming out with the win. The Ducks went on a run at the end of the game to take a one-point lead before Andrews' shot.

The Bruins led by 7 with 2:30 remaining in the game as the Ducks went on a 10-2 run before the final shot from Andrews. The previous two possessions before the big shot were turnovers for the Bruins as they were unable to put the game away late on the road.

"My big focus is defensively. you got to be really good late in the game," Cronin told Katz. "My teams have won, I'm here because of that. I didn't play any NBA. So we weren't in this game. Kobe [Johnson] gave up an and-1, we didn't block out on a free throw, we didn't switch on a high ball screen, we're lucky to get out of here, buddy."

The Bruins were fairly lucky to escape with the win as they would have lost despite the made three from Andrews, arguably the most clutch shot of his three-year career.

Cronin prides his group on their defensive tenacity and ability to finish games on both ends of the floor with a multi-possession lead in the final minutes. It surely will be something that they must work on and improve on as they dive into the thick of conference play in early January.

The win should put the Bruins in the top 25 once again after they fell out of the national rankings early in the season with their lone loss of the season to New Mexico. Cronin dropped some knowledge on what he expects from his guys and what their sights are set on as this season progresses.

"I just think that the whole country, especially teams like us are going to get better as time goes," Cronin said. "I just think that [at] UCLA, you better, because it's about the NCAA Tournament, not wins in December."

The sixth-year head coach spoke to the full media after the game and also gave his guys a lot of credit for their effort and ability to limit turnovers, something that had struggled with early in the year against good teams. The Bruins had just nine turnovers compared to the Ducks' 13.

"I thought we played great for a long time," Cronin said. "First road game as a group, and I thought we played really well for a long period of time. We have work to do with our late-game defense. … We didn't turn the ball over one time against their press. I told them, if we do that, we were going to have a chance to win."

The road does not get any easier for the Bruins, but they will take a small break from Big Ten play with their next four opponents being out of conference. They will match up with the dangerous Arizona Wildcats (4-4), who have struggled of late, but are still a national powerhouse and talented team.

The game will be played a neutral sight in Phoenix, Ariz. this coming Saturday at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT.

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