The UCLA Bruins fans gathered at the Pauley Pavilion expecting a routine win against the Washington Huskies. However, Washington put up a great fight, even leading the game going into halftime. Cronin was visibly unhappy during the game because of the difference in officiating with regard to fouls being called on plays.

The UCLA Head Coach even drew a technical foul after walking onto the court to give the officials an earful. He believed the officials did not call the foul on UCLA point guard Donovan Dent’s contested layup. The technical foul might have given Washington two free throws. But, Zoom Diallo missed both, and the UCLA Bruins rallied to beat the Washington Huskies 77-73.

In the end, UCLA saw off a spirited Washington on Saturday night to nab a four-point win. The Bruins Head Coach, Mick Cronin, though, cut a dejected figure despite the comeback victory. Cronin spoke to the press after the win, highlighting their tough schedule, with this being their fourth game in 12 days. However, Cronin also voiced his frustrations about the officiating in the match at the Pauley Pavilion.

Cronin said,” No need to ask, I am completely unhappy with the officiating. But they could care less.”

Apart from the visible frustration, the body language seemed to suggest this isn’t the first time Cronin has pointed out the officiating issues in Men’s College Basketball. Cronin has a history of being vocal on the sidelines. The UCLA Head Coach has garnered a reputation for receiving technical fouls, with the last example coming in the match against Michigan, where the Wolverines managed to turn the call into a six-point possession.

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Against Washington, Tyler Bilodeau and Xavier Booker had 4 fouls each, increasing Cronin’s problems. This, and the foul calls not going UCLA’s way, pushed Cronin towards the outburst and the subsequent technical that handed Washington two free throws.

Booker came into the game off the back of a career-high 24 points against Rutgers. But the UCLA junior failed to trouble the scoreboard, not converting any shots from open play, and ended the game with just 1 point from the free-throw line.

The UCLA Bruins Men’s Basketball team has had a mixed season so far. They have managed to recover from the successive defeats to Iowa and Wisconsin. The Bruins have since lost just two of their 9 games, with the stretch featuring a victory over the 4th-seeded Purdue as well.

Mick Cronin has Trent Perry to thank for the Washington rescue job

Trent Perry rescued the Bruins on a lackluster shooting night for the entire team. UCLA converted just 41% of its field goals compared to Washington’s 50%. But Perry had a 5-of-9 performance, making all 3 of his three-point attempts, ending the game as the leading scorer with 23 points.

Skyy Clark last played for UCLA on January 3 and has since been out recovering from a hamstring injury. This catapulted Trent Perry into the starting five, and the sophomore has repaid the trust shown in him by Mick Cronin. The sophomore has stepped up in Clark’s absence, showcasing his ability to create his own shots, drive inside, and subsequently go to the free-throw line.

While Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent both continued to contribute, Perry was the difference against Washington, leading the team with 23 points. The bench failed to provide much respite to the UCLA starters.

With Perry coming into the starting five, though, the bench has gone from inadequate to almost non-existent. Against Washington, the Bruins’ bench, which is now down to three members, contributed just 3 of the 77 points, while sharing the court for 45 minutes. This pressured Cronin into keeping the starters on the court, despite Bilodeau and Booker both facing the potential of fouling out of the game.

Currently boasting a 17-7 record this season, the UCLA Bruins could be in trouble on their upcoming road trip if they fail to figure out how to extract value from the bench and allow the starters some breather during the game, especially if the players continue to fall into foul trouble.