Thrilling Victory: UCLA Overcomes No. 18 Wisconsin in Nail-Biting 85-83 Showdown!

LOS ANGELES – With outstanding contributions from Aday Mara and Sebastian Mack coming off the bench, the UCLA men’s basketball squad narrowly overcame No. 18 Wisconsin, 85-83, on Tuesday evening at Pauley Pavilion, sponsored by Wescom.

 

The Bruins (13-6, 4-4) secured their second straight win in the Big Ten Conference while ending Wisconsin’s (15-4, 5-3) seven-game winning streak. This marked UCLA’s third victory against an AP-ranked opponent this season.

 

“The moment will arrive when he will have that type of performance,” remarked Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach. “I praise Aday for maintaining an excellent mindset, coping with not participating in the last game, and being prepared tonight. I believed this matchup was favorable for him, considering their (Wisconsin’s) size. He transformed the entire game, no doubt about it.”

 

Mara was the driving force behind the Bruins from the bench, erupting for a career-best 22 points on an immaculate 7-for-7 shooting outing. The sophomore center converted 8-of-11 at the free throw line, pulled down five rebounds, and registered two blocks. Mara also played a season-high of 21 minutes.

 

In spite of the loss, the Badgers shot 51 percent overall and 15-of-30 from beyond the arc. The Bruins also exceeded the 50 percent shooting mark (50.9) and committed only seven turnovers.

 

Mack provided a significant boost in the latter half, finishing with 15 of his 19 points in the final 10:05 of the game. The Chicago native successfully made six of his 12 shots from the field and converted 7-of-8 free throws.

 

Contributing a notable 16 points was Tyler Bilodeau, who shot 6-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-4 from 3-point range.

 

Wisconsin was down by two points with 30 seconds left in the match. William Kyle III executed a critical defensive block, and Clark converted two free throws on the opposite end, sealing UCLA’s win with just six seconds remaining.

 

Clark concluded the game with 12 points, sinking three 3-pointers.

 

UCLA kicked off the second half with an 11-3 spree, restricting Wisconsin from making a field goal for a four-minute period during the rally.

 

Mara persisted in delivering effective minutes from the bench, scoring four additional baskets and reaching double digits. He accumulated 15 points in the latter half.

Mack scored on consecutive possessions, initiating a 9-of-11 shooting streak that propelled the Bruins to a nine-point lead as the team began to find its offensive rhythm.

 

It became a three-point game with 2:13 left, but another scoring attempt from Mack established a two-possession game.

 

Wisconsin held a 41-36 advantage at halftime, with 10 of its 15 first-half field goals being scored from 3-point territory. The Badgers demonstrated great efficiency from long-range, netting 10 of 18 attempts beyond the arc. Tonje led the visitors with five 3-pointers to accumulate 16 points in the first half.

 

Bilodeau registered 10 points in the first half by shooting 4-of-7 from the field with a pair of three-point baskets.

 

UCLA commenced strongly, scoring on five consecutive possessions to achieve a 12-6 lead, aided by 3-point shots from Bilodeau and Clark. Wisconsin matched the pace with three triples of their own in the early moments, resulting in a 15-9 UCLA lead at the under-16 media timeout.

 

After a shooting slump in which UCLA made only one of their last 11 field goals, the Badgers surged ahead with a 13-3 run.

 

Mara revitalized the Bruins’ offense by netting two baskets in the paint, including a powerful dunk, bringing the lead down to three points with just under five minutes remaining in the half. The Spaniard made contributions off the bench, scoring seven points in just seven minutes of play.

 

Wisconsin’s lead ballooned to nine after Steven Crowl scored consecutive baskets. However, an intentional foul by the visitors in the waning moments resulted in two free throws by Mack and a jumper from Bilodeau, cutting the deficit to just four points at halftime.

 

The Bruins are headed to Seattle, Wash., to face Washington at the Alaska Airlines arena on Friday, Jan. 24. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. (PT). The contest will be available for viewing on FS1.