UCLA Basketball: Mick Cronin Chalks Up Villanova Defeat To 3 Plays

UCLA had their chances against the Wildcats.

Once again, the UCLA Bruins men's basketball team wasn't able to close out a game against one of the bigger teams in the country. They fell short against Villanova by a score of 65-56 despite leading the game at halftime. 

UCLA couldn't withstand the run at the end of the game by the Wildcats, and it crushed them. Villanova took advantage of the Bruins' missing guard Dylan Andrews, who missed the final part of the game with leg cramps.

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin broke down the game into three plays that he believes did them in. Cronin has never been shy about making his feelings known, and he didn't hold back once again.

“We had three plays that beat us. We walked away from a shooter twice and we didn’t get a rebound on a missed free throw. With that being said, give them credit. Always give the other team credit. They have a program with a lot of pride. They had an unbelievable crowd tonight, playing off-campus. They had all these people here after they lost a few in a row. It’s impressive. Big credit to their fanbase to have the type of crowd they had. That’s what happened on those three plays."



Per Mick Cronin via Uclabruins.com

It was a tough game all around for the Bruins, but they showed their inexperience once again. This team has a ton of talent on it, but they lack the necessary experience that is needed to finish games off.

"We’re just not tough enough right now. Our margin for error isn’t what it has been. We’re the youngest team in the country playing a team that’s maybe the oldest team in the country. We can’t have those kind of mistakes. Obviously, Dylan [Andrews] going out hurt us. We were up four when he started cramping. Our offense went south when he went out.”

Per Mick Cronin via Uclabruins.com

UCLA can learn from this game, and move forward now. They have another challenge ahead of them, as they take on Ohio State this weekend.

Don't forget to join our community at LA Sports Report, where we celebrate all things Bruins!