UCLA's second-half surge can't erase dismal start in loss to No. 25 Iowa

Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times on Jan 3, 2026

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — From an existential crisis to a gritty comeback, UCLA ran a gamut of emotions over the course of a few hours here.

The final sentiment was one of disappointment.

After whittling what had been a 24-point deficit to four with a little more than three minutes left Saturday, the Bruins could not find the miracle finish they were seeking.

Iowa won, 74-61, inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the No. 25 Hawkeyes holding off the Bruins by making the plays they needed over the final foul-filled minutes.

Iowa made all eight free throws down the stretch, the Bruins failing to get the stops they needed even with point guard Donovan Dent (25 points) putting on a dazzling offensive display.

After Iowa's Tavion Banks went in for a dunk in transition to extend the lead back to double digits in the final minute, the Bruins' comeback hopes were over. Iowa point guard Bennett Stirtz added a 30-foot 3-pointer in the final seconds for good measure.

Even with a much better effort in the second half, UCLA (10-4, 2-1 Big Ten) wasn't nearly good enough on either end. The Bruins will need to decide if they want to continue to go with a small lineup after using one to spark their huge comeback.

After one of the worst first halves of the Mick Cronin era following a 10-day layoff, UCLA played as if it took a glance at the rally towels inside the arena featuring the slogan "Impose Your Will."

The Bruins went on a 18-2 run early in the second half after going small, breaking out a full-court press in pockets and making seven of eight shots. Dent was in the middle of it all, snagging a steal that led to a Brandon Williams dunk, driving for a couple of layups and rising for a mid-range jumper.

When UCLA's Trent Perry poked the ball away for a steal and went in for a layup in transition, the Bruins were within 47-42 with 10:44 left and Iowa's only move was to call a timeout. But a big issue loomed for UCLA as guard Skyy Clark had gone to the bench with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game.

Stirtz finished with 27 points for the Hawkeyes (12-2, 2-1), who shot 46.8% to UCLA's 44.6%.

The first half couldn't have gone much worse for the Bruins.

It all started with an inability to finish at the rim. There were two Tyler Bilodeau misses at point-blank range — including a dunk — a Xavier Booker layup that was blocked and a Dent lob that was deflected and stolen. And that was just in the first five minutes.

Equally atrocious was the Bruins' defense, players leaving the perimeter open on drive-and-dishes that led to a flurry of 3-pointers.

Cronin was so disgusted with his team down by 23 points late in the half that he took off his suit jacket and lit into Perry during a timeout. UCLA went on to score the final five points of the half ... and still trailed 40-22.

UCLA arrived here facing questions about its big men, its defense and its rebounding.

After opening the season as the starting power forward, Bilodeau had increasingly shifted back to center in recent games as part of a three-guard lineup. The move provided a clear advantage on the offensive end, where Bilodeau could outmaneuver slower counterparts, while not giving up anything on defense given the struggles of Booker and ongoing foul trouble of Steven Jamerson.

More troublesome for the Bruins was a defense that ranked among the worst of Cronin's seven seasons in Westwood. Most of the problems have come around the rim, UCLA providing little resistance on the easiest of shots. The Bruins also entered the game ranked third-to-last in the Big Ten in rebounding.

None of those problems were solved Saturday, leaving the Bruins to contemplate further changes.