UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Recapping Bruins' Win Over Arizona

Our latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast recaps the Bruins' thrilling comeback victory over the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday. The Bruins have won eight straight games and are continuing to play as one of the best in the country.

Dec 14, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) celebrates against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (9-1) just pulled together an improbable late-game rally to come back and defeat the Arizona Wildcats (4-5) in their home state. After a sloppy start to the second half, the Bruins found their footing and shined the most on the defensive side of the ball.

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, UCLA Bruins On SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh breaks down the Bruins' comeback win over the Wildcats, mentioning a few key performances from a pair of junior transfers, and focuses on the key aspects late in the game that led to the win.

You can watch the episode below:

The Bruins took a two-point lead into halftime of a game that was very evenly matched on both sides. That would change rather quickly as the Bruins trailed by 13 points with just 10 minutes left, scoring just six points in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

After a game-changing timeout, the Bruins would put together a 16-3 run over the next seven minutes to tie the game at 52 each. A few clutch shots down the stretch would give the Bruins a 1-point lead before heading to the free throw line and hitting both to win the ballgame, 57-54.

The second half was brutal on both sides in terms of scoring the basketball, but the Bruins found the bottom of the cup when they needed it most. Junior transfer forward Tyler Bilodeau led all scorers with 17 points, with several of those buckets coming in the final minutes to help the comeback.

Another transfer that had his best offensive game was junior Skyy Clark, who poured in a season-high 15 points on 3-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. His final 2 points were the biggest of the game as he knocked down both free throws to put the Bruins up by three with just seconds to play.

Senior guard Kobe Johnson was a defensive ball hawk all game long, finishing with 7 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Johnson continues to be the cornerstone piece that impacts this team positvely in multiple ways.

The Bruins pulled down eight offensive rebounds while forcing 22 turnovers by the Wildcats. They were stout on both ends of the floor, but their shooting was not their best. Even with a poor scoring performance, they found a way to win by playing good defense, rebounding, and forcing takeaways.

Riding an eight-game win streak that dates back to the first week of November, the Bruins are one of the hottest teams in college basketball and have picked up back-to-back statement victories against historically successful programs. They will play Prairie View A&M (1-8) next Tuesday at home.

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