UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Complete Recap of Bruins' Loss to Nebraska

Our latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast recaps the Bruins' disappointing loss on the road to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. It marked the worst shooting performance from UCLA all season and proves that consistent offense is a struggle.

Jan 4, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Brice Williams (3) loses the ball against UCLA Bruins guard Sebastian Mack (12) and guard Skyy Clark (55) during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The No. 15 UCLA Bruins (11-3) posted their worst offensive game of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling victim to an upset loss at the hands of the Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-2) on the road in front of a sold out crowd. There were several issues that plagued this team.

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, UCLA Bruins On SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh recaps the Bruins' 66-58 road loss to the Cornhuskers and the reasons leading to the loss. Missing one of their top scorers along with bad shooting were the catalysts to a brutal defeat.

You can watch the episode below:

After controlling much of the first half, the Bruins allowed a 9-2 scoring run from the Cornhuskers to end the half and tie the game, 24-24. That offensive edge for Nebraska continued into the second half, outscoring the Bruins 42-34 in the final 20 minutes of the contest.

There was not much of a standout player for the Cornhuskers, but three of their players scoring in double digits was a big reason for the upset. Senior guard Brice Williams has been the team's top scorer all season as he notched a game-high 16 points with 11 made free throws.

The Bruins were missing their second-leading scorer in sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. as he was out for the game with a facial injury. He warmed up and was reported to be questionable, but ultimately did not play at all in the loss. He was dearly missed in a multiple of ways for the Bruins.

On top of missing Dailey, the Bruins shot their worst percentages of the season. Hitting just 22 of 57 total shots for 38.6% from the field was paired with a pitiful 3-point shooting performance. 4-28 from beyond the arc, good for 14.3% was an eye-popping stat that led to the upset.

The Bruins actually shot the ball better than the Cornhuskers in the game as UCLA's opponent was just 32.7% from the field. The game was lost at the foul line as the Cornhuskers went to the line 29 times and made 25 of them. The Bruins were just 10 of 13 from the charity stripe.

Sophomore guard Sebastian Mack and junior guard Dylan Andrews were a combined 0-8 from three-point range. Andrews continued to struggled, scoring just 2 points and has combined for just four points in his past three games. Mack had nine points on 3-11 shooting from the field.

Something must be said about the Bruins' struggles to score the ball. Not having Dailey was a big miss, but the team must find a way to generate offense without some of their impact players. The Cornhuskers do deserve credit for their defensive performance as a top three defense in the Big Ten.

Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau put together a solid performance, scoring 15 points on 6-9 shooting with five rebounds. He continues to be a consistent scoring piece for this offense, but did not have the complimentary pieces around him that he is used to receiving in a majority of the games this year.

UCLA did not do themselves any favors in the turnover aspect, coughing up the ball 15 times. Although they forced 16 turnovers, the 15 they gave up proved to be much more costly and led to some scoring runs from Nebraska down the stretch.

There will be a much-needed two day rest for the Bruins before they return home to face the Michigan Wolverines (10-3) at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday night. It will be very interesting to see what kind of response UCLA puts together against another strong Big Ten opponent.

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