UCLA
11-5,2-3Big Ten
Maryland
12-4,2-3Big Ten
No. 22 UCLA Falls to Maryland, 79-61
January 10, 2025 | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – No. 22-ranked UCLA men's basketball team suffered its third consecutive defeat, falling to Maryland, 79-61, in a Big Ten Conference matchup on Friday night inside the Xfinity Center.
The Bruins (11-5, 2-3) struggled on the offensive end, matching their season-high of 21 turnovers. Maryland (12-4, 2-3) took advantage of the miscues with 26 points off turnovers while shooting 54 percent as a team to seize the victory. Ja'Kobi Gillespie led all scorers with 27 points on 7-of-13 shooting, making four 3-pointers and knocking down all nine of his foul shots.
UCLA's Postgame Press Availability: Coach Cronin | E. Dailey Jr. and K. Johnson
Pacing UCLA on the offensive end at Maryland was Tyler Bilodeau, pouring in a team-high 18 points for his 12th double-digit scoring effort of the year. The 6-foot-9 forward connected on seven of 12 shot attempts.
Trent Perry delivered a solid performance off the bench, reaching double figures for the third time this season with an 11-point performance.
Eric Dailey Jr. contributed eight points and pulled down five rebounds while Kobe Johnson and Dylan Andrews scored seven points each.
UCLA cut the deficit to just six points with 12:36 left to play, but Maryland enjoyed all of the momentum down the stretch, out-scoring UCLA 26-14 the rest of the way to earn the win.
The hosts scored on its first three possessions to build an early 7-2 advantage. However, the Bruins responded with six straight points, seizing their first lead of the game. After a brief rally from Maryland, Bilodeau nailed his first two shot attempts and Dailey Jr. followed with a 3-pointer to restore UCLA's lead at the under-16 media timeout.
The Bruins' offense then went cold, going scoreless for over four minutes to allow the Terrapins to mount an 11-0 run. The Maryland surge expanded to 14-2 after a 3-pointer, but Johnson countered with a triple of his own. Another basket from Bilodeau kept UCLA within striking distance, reducing the lead to five at the next media stoppage.
Perry finished a layup inside, and Bilodeau reached double digits with a hook shot, bringing UCLA to within one point with less than eight minutes remaining in the half. However, the Bruins lost their offensive rhythm, turning the ball over five times in just over three minutes, including four consecutive possessions, which enabled Maryland to go on another scoring run.
Stefanovic brought some energy back into the Bruins' offense by sinking a pair of free throws, followed by a three-pointer from the perimeter. Just before the halftime buzzer, Bilodeau made a contested jumper, trimming the lead to four points at the break.
Maryland was strong coming out of the locker room, quickly extending its lead to nine points. UCLA struggled to take care of the basketball yet again, committing six turnovers in just over six minutes of action. The Terrapins quickly took advantage, widening the gap beyond 10 points.
Andrews ended the scoring drought with back-to-back baskets, shrinking the lead to six points at the under-12 stoppage.
The Bruins will continue Big Ten Conference play on Jan. 13 at 3:30 p.m. (PT) when they travel to Piscataway, N.J. to take on Rutgers. The contest will be available for viewing on FS1.
