UCLA loses by 46 points to Utah, loses for 8th time in past 9 games

After his team sustained a 90-44 loss at Utah on Thursday, UCLA coach Mick Cronin didn’t make excuses for the 46-point defeat, the second-largest loss in Bruins history. (Only a 48-point loss at Stanford in 1997 was worse,per ESPN Stats & Information.)

“We got our ass kicked every way we could,” Cronin said after the game. “Coaching, playing, hustling, everything.”

For the Bruins (6-10, 1-4 in Pac-12), it was their eighth loss in nine games, as a sudden slide continues for a team that had reached the Final Four three years ago.

The storied UCLA program leads all college basketball teams with 11 national titles. Cronin has led the team on a memorable run since his arrival: three consecutive Sweet 16 appearances and a Final Four trip in 2021 that only ended when Gonzaga nailed a last-second winner.

But this team, which boasts NBA talent, will need a sweeping turnaround to even reach the NIT. The squad’s NET ranking is 176. And the Bruins have made only 27.9% of their 3-point attempts, one of the worst marks in the NCAA.

Cronin said the only solution for the funk is better shooting and efficiency. But he also said he does not believe his team has quit on him.

“I think guys got punch-drunk,” Cronin said after the loss. “They’re good kids. We don’t have bad kids, trust me. They listen. They’re embarrassed, but that doesn’t help. I was concerned with this. They’re punch-drunk and you’ve got to fight your way out of it. I’ve been there before. It’s been a while, but I’ve been there before.”

Utah (12-4, 3-2) led UCLA by just three points with 5:04 to play in the first half — and then UCLA fell apart. With 3:03 to play in the game, Utah had a 50-point lead — 87-37 — over UCLA. The Bruins failed to finish with a double-digit scorer for the first time in nearly 30 years, per ESPN Stats & Info.

“I feel like our team’s confidence is not in the best spot,” said UCLA guard Lazar Stefanovic. “I guess that’s normal when you start losing and are on a losing streak, but we’ve got to find a way to pick it up and stick together as a team and lift each other up.”

Cronin said Adem Bona, a projected second-round pick in ESPN’s latest mock NBA draft, has to play better if the Bruins are going to have any chance to improve in the weeks ahead.

He said he told his team postgame Thursday that the tough losses won’t help them earn any sympathy.

“Nobody feels sorry for them,” Cronin said. “I tried to tell them Saturday [following a 66-57 loss to Cal]. Two straight games we’ve given up 14 offensive rebounds. Because that we can control. Well, we should be able to control. Our mind is affected by lack of scoring. [That] starts to affect your defense and your rebounding. That’s when you’re in trouble and that’s what I was grossly concerned about. Knowing how potent [Utah is]. Knowing they’ve got a bunch of guys that can shoot the ball.”