UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau shoots as Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic defends during their Big Ten game on Tuesday night in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis advances the ball as Dylan Andrews defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Dylan Andrews advances the ball during an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Morez Johnson Jr. shoots over Tyler Bilodeau during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin shouts to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis juggles a loose ball while Dylan Andrews defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Kobe Johnson and Illinois’ Morez Johnson Jr. scramble for a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Sebastian Mack signals to his team during an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis drives past UCLA’s Skyy Clark during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’ Sebastian Mack advances the ball during an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis reaches for a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau fights for position against Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Will Riley shoots a layup during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Skyy Clark looks on during an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Will Riley, left, and UCLA’s Sebastian Mack battle for a loose ball during the first half of their Big Ten game on Tuesday night in Champaign, Ill. Illinois held off UCLA for an 83-78 win. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Kylan Boswell calls to his teammates during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Eric Dailey Jr. advances the ball against Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic during an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Will Riley advances the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Trent Perry drives to the basket past Illinois’ Kylan Boswell during an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Will Riley shoots over UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau (34) and Skyy Clark during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Skyy Clark attempts to drive past Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic during an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Kobe Johnson shoots as Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis defends during an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Morez Johnson Jr. dunks during an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin reacts to a play during an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau shoots over Illinois’ Will Riley during an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Sebastian Mack brings the ball up the court during an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis shoots a layup between UCLA’s Trent Perry (left) and Kobe Johnson during an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s Dylan Andrews goes up for a layup during an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’s Kasparas Jakucionis celebrates during an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
UCLA’s William Kyle III dunks as Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis defends during an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic dunks during an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Kylan Boswell celebrates with the crowd during an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois’ Kylan Boswell celebrates with fans after an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood talks with UCLA head coach Mick Cronin prior to an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Members of Illinois’ Orange Krush student section cheer during introductions prior to the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between UCLA and Illinois, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
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UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau shoots as Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic defends during their Big Ten game on Tuesday night in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The UCLA men’s basketball team staged a furious rally in the final minutes but could not complete the comeback and saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end.
Kasparas Jakucionis scored 24 points and Tomislav Ivisic scored 16 points as Illinois held off UCLA, 83-78, on Tuesday night. Kylan Boswell scored all 11 of his points in the second half and reserve Will Riley added 10 for Illinois (17-8, 9-6 Big Ten), which shot 51% from the field (27 for 53) and outrebounded the Bruins 36-23.
Tyler Bilodeau made seven 3-point shots and scored 25 points to lead UCLA (18-7, 9-5). Kobe Johnson scored 14 despite foul trouble and reserve Sebastian Mack added 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. Dylan Andrews had nine points and a team-high seven assists. Skyy Clark also had nine points.
Ben Humrichous made one of two free throws to give Illinois an 81-78 lead with seven seconds left. He missed the second shot, and off the carom, Ivisic deflected the miss which ended up in the hands of Boswell. Forced to foul, UCLA sent Boswell to the line where he made a pair with 4.2 seconds left to secure the win.
Jakucionis, who also grabbed a team-best eight rebounds, made an improbable step-back shot just inside the 3-point arc for a 78-73 Illinois advantage with 38 seconds left. Former Illinois guard Skyy Clark, who was heckled for much of the night, answered with a 3-pointer 10 seconds later to get UCLA within two points for the first time since the opening three minutes.
Illinois cracked UCLA’s full-court pressure to get Ivisic an uncontested dunk with 17 seconds left, but Mack made a pair of free throws to get UCLA within 80-78 with 11 seconds remaining. That set up the final moments at the free-throw line.
“There was no regression at all,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “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 [Mara] is nowhere near ready, because of the sickness. I thought it was a valiant effort by our guys, but defensively, we failed the test.
“We got exposed defensively. We had different guys that weren’t able to guard the ball and stay in front of it. That was my biggest concern. … This was a tough matchup for some of our personnel.”
Illinois opened a 26-13 first-half lead that forced UCLA to burn two timeouts to figure things out. Bilodeau swished two 3-pointers to fuel a 12-3 run over the final 5:20 of the first half that pulled the Bruins within 31-25 at the break.
“We got off to a bad start. Our ball movement and passing were bad,” Cronin said. “The environment had us out of character, early in the game. That’s on me to get that job done. It took us a while to settle in and get some guys to probe and pass. We had too many guys probing to take bad shots in the first half. I didn’t get the job done with that. But as we got more comfortable, got the right guys to probe and pass, we started scoring, and we got back in it.”
Every time Illinois tried to pull away in the second half, UCLA worked its way back into the game.
Six minutes into the second half, UCLA pulled within 45-40 on Mack’s circus-shot layup over the 7-foot-2 Ivisic while getting knocked to the floor. Mack missed the subsequent free throw, then was called for fouling Ivisic on what UCLA believed to be a clean steal.
Illinois answered with Morez Johnson Jr.’s putback dunk after he discarded slender Mara in the paint. Then UCLA coach Mick Cronin, irked over the Mack call and the Mara non-call, was whistled for a technical as the teams headed up the court. Boswell made the technical free throws to boost Illinois’ lead to 49-40.
After Bilodeau made his fifth 3-pointer to get UCLA within 58-51, Ivisic answered with back-to-back 3-pointers and Jakucionis slashed for a layup to push Illinois’ lead to 66-51 with 7:34 left.
Illinois seized a 76-60 advantage on Ben Humrichous’ 3-pointer with 4:51 to go, before UCLA reeled off its 13 consecutive points. Johnson hit two 3-pointers during the run and William Kyle III’s dunk with 1:08 left got the Bruins within 76-73.
That’s when Jakucionis and Clark traded big baskets to set up the final moments.
“We’re going to do everything we can to scratch back into the game and give ourselves a chance to win,” Clark said. “We just can’t let ourselves get down that much.”
Bilodeau finished the night 9 for 17 from the field, including 7 for 12 from behind the arc.
“My teammates knew that I would be up on the pick-and-roll and they did a great job getting me the ball,” he said. “I missed my first couple shots, but I just said I have to keep shooting.”
Facing Illinois, which leads the nation with a +11.3 rebounding margin, on its home court provided the Bruins with another glimpse of how challenging and hostile some Big Ten road games can be.
“Illinois is one of the toughest places to play in the whole country,” Clark said. “I’ve played here, so I know how the fans get. I told [the team] that it was going to get loud, they were going to be heckling, they were going to be saying some crazy things, but we had to stick together. I was tuning the crowd out. I already knew what to expect going into the game, so I just tuned out, focused on trying to get the win.”
UP NEXT
UCLA travels to face Indiana on Friday at 5 p.m. PT.
