UCLA
18-7,9-5Big Ten
Illinois
17-8,9-6Big Ten
UCLA Men's Basketball Falls at Illinois, 83-78
February 11, 2025 | Men's Basketball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The UCLA men's basketball team had a seven-game win streak snapped with an 83-78 loss at Illinois in a Big Ten Conference at State Farm Center on Tuesday evening.
The Bruins absorbed their first loss since a 75-68 setback at Rutgers on Monday, Jan. 13.
Against Illinois (17-8, 9-6) on Tuesday, UCLA trailed throughout the contest. However, the Bruins were able to reduce a 16-point deficit with 4:51 to play down to just two points – at 80-78 – with under 15 seconds remaining. Unfortunately for UCLA, Illinois knocked down a free throw and secured an offensive rebound in the game's final 10 seconds to hold on for the victory.
UCLA's Tyler Bilodeau scored a team-leading 25 points, connecting on 7 of 12 shots from 3-point range. He finished the game having made 9 of 17 shots. Bilodeau, who knocked down a career-high seven threes, became the Bruins' first player since Dylan Andrews against Oregon State last March (March 13, 2024) to have made seven 3-pointers in one game.
Kobe Johnson scored 14 points and Sebastian Mack registered 11 points as the only other Bruins to have scored in double figures. Johnson shot 5-for-7 against Illinois and was a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the 3-point arc.
"There was no regression at all," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "They [Illinois] hit a desperation three at the end of the [shot] clock, or we may have had the game. We were only down two or three when the guy hit the fall-away three. It was a ridiculous desperation shot, or we would have had our chance to win on the road at Illinois. They're as potent, offensively, as any team we'll play all year. Tyler is still at 80 percent. Aday is nowhere near ready, because of the sickness. I thought it was a valiant effort by our guys, but defensively, we failed the test."
Illinois received a team-leading 24 points from Kasparas Jakucionis (8-for-14 overall, 3-for-8 from 3-point distance). Tomislav Ivisic scored 16 points, Kylan Boswell added 11 points, and Will Riley finished with 10 points off the bench. Illinois shot 50.9 percent overall and was 11-for-28 from beyond the 3-point arc (39.3 percent).
In the final few minutes on Tuesday, Johnson helped cut down Illinois' cushion by sinking a 3-pointer at the 1:46 mark to reduce UCLA's deficit to 76-71. William Kyle III threw down a dunk on the Bruins' next possession after UCLA had gotten a defensive stop. Kyle III's slam reduced Illinois' advantage to 76-73, with 1:03 to play in regulation.
UCLA reduced Illinois' cushion to just two points (at 78-76) on a 3-point basket form Skyy Clark with 28 seconds to play.
Illinois led by a game-high 16 points – 76-60 – with 4:51 left in the contest before UCLA turned up the intensity. The Bruins made 10 of their final 11 shots. Johnson and Bilodeau made back-to-back 3-pointers to slice the Fighting Illini's lead to 10 points (76-66).
Earlier in the second half, Bilodeau hit his sixth 3-pointer of the night to get the Bruins within 12 points, at 68-56 with 6:25 to go. His sixth 3-pointer set a new personal career-high.
With Illinois up 10 points, Trent Perry carried the ball into the lane and finished through contact at the rim for an and-one opportunity. The freshman guard from West Covina, Calif., hit the ensuing foul shot to make it a seven-point game, at 52-45, with 12:04 remaining in the second half.
Bilodeau, Andrews and Dailey Jr. all hit from distance to open the second half to reduce Illinois' cushion to 41-36. Dailey Jr. finished a fast-break layup on a feed from Lazar Stefanovic to cut the Bruins 'deficit to 41-38 at the 14:30 mark.
Despite shooting 32 percent from the field in the opening half, UCLA went on a 10-0 run to close the gap from 15 points (28-13) to just five points (28-23) with 1:42 left before halftime. The Bruins scored just 13 points through the first 14:30 of the game and scored 12 points in the final five minutes in the first half.
UCLA forced six turnovers in the opening 12 minutes of action and finished the first half with nine forced turnovers. The Bruins' offense struggled out of the gate, connecting on just one of six shot attempts before Johnson helped to get the Bruins on the board.
UCLA will close its road trip on Friday, Feb. 14, playing at Indiana (15-10, 6-8 Big Ten). Game time at Indiana's Assembly Hall is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET, in Indiana). The Bruins' game this Friday will be nationally televised on FOX, with Jason Benetti and Robbie Hummel on the call.
