UCLA stops Spartans Rally 63-61, Izzo Misses Mark

On February 5, 2025By Littum

Los Angeles – all rhythm and smoothness, al mojo and momentum disappeared.

So did Michigan State Basketball’s Big Ten Lead.

The ninth ranked Michigan State Spartans was in another West Coast match, sustained revenue and mistakes all Tuesday night. Still managed to recover from an 11-point deficit to tie it in the last two minutes.

But Eric Daily Jr.’s driving, knocked up with 7.5 seconds to play gave UCLA a 63-61 win at Pauley Pavilion. Jaden Akins’ 3-point attempt at the buzzer sounded off the edge.

It was the first time this season with consecutive losses for MSU (18-4, 9-2 Big Ten). Purdue, who won Tuesday night at Iowa and improved to 10-2 in league games, now has a half-game lead on the Spartans at the top of the conference level.

“The most mature thing to do after a loss like this is to come back to the gym and learn,” said Junior Jaxon Kohler, who had eight points and seven rebounds. “Learn from your mistakes and win the next game.”

MSU coach Tom Izzo stays firm on 352 Big Ten Conference -victory, a win shy to tie Bob Knight for the most of a coach in Lig History. The 70-year-old Izzo has 725 career gains in general.

Akins led the Spartans with 15 points, but was the only one who scored in double, although all 10 who played reached the scoring column. Carson Cooper had nine rebounds when MSU ended with a dominant 45-27 rebounding Edge.

However, the Spartans committed 16 revenue, including a journey from Kohler with 24.3 seconds to play, led to 19 points for UCLA. They only forced three gifts from Bruins.

“We turned the damn ball over 16 times to their three, and that was the difference in the game. That along with a few things at the end there,” said Izzo. “To be good teams on the road, you have to play hard enough, but you have to play smart enough.

“And I thought we were doing some acting early in the game that wasn’t smart enough. So that’s the only disappointment I had.”

Skyy Clark scored 14 points and Tyler Bilodeau had 13 for UCLA (17-6, 8-4), who won its sixth straight.

It is a quick turn for the Spartans, who were immediately expected to take a red-eye flight back to Lansing and arrive around dawn on Wednesday morning. MSU is facing its third just former PAC-12 opponent on Saturday with a visit from Oregon (16-6, 5-6). Tipoff is dinner at Fox. The ducks, which have lost three equal and four of their last five, are at No. 22 Michigan Wednesday (18: 30/Big Ten Network).

The Spartans are then hosted by Knights previous program Indiana next Tuesday for another tip in the evening (21: 00/streaming at Peacock).

Magic at first

The Spartans broke a 13-match victory on Saturday with a loss of 70-64 across the city at the USC. They went 69 days between a November loss against Memphis on Maui Invitational on November 26 and the loss Trojans.

It just took three days for another.

“We have to move on,” said Akins, who went 6 for 14 and 3 for 7 from 3-point reach. “We got a game on Saturday so our only goal is to win that game.”

With Magic Johnson again in the MSU cheering section and his former Lakers teammate and UCLA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Bruins’ baseline, the Spartans came out sizzling. Fear and Akin’s drained 3-Pointers, and Holloman followed four equally point-inclusive a coast-to-coast, rebound-and-runout-float, putting them ahead 12-5 just four minutes into the game.

But after making 5 of 7 shots to open the game, MSU’s shooting went south as its offensive rhythm grew more and more disombulated. The brubles were physically defense at coach Mick Cronin’s call, and the Spartans found themselves missed nine of their last 10 3-point attempt in the first half and went 5-for-22 after the blistering start.

UCLA worked his way back in the game after Holloman embarked on a 3-point attempt to kick a 10-3 spurt with three free kicks and a 3-pointer. Then the 6-Foot-2 LA-native and Louisville transfer really took over, MSU attacked the dribbling and created for himself and teammates.

After Bruins took their first lead with a triple from Lazar Stefanovic and a short jumper from Bilodeau, Clark’s Penetration Szymon Zapala pulled out of position to help Coen Carr on the drive. It enabled a slight lob from Clark for an Aday Mara Slam.

Clark had 13 points during the break and scored five equal, including a 3-Pointer with 1:16 back, as part of a 12-2 UCLA race that sent the Spartans during the break against a 35-28 deficit. Bruins did so despite shooting only 28.6% in the first half.

UCLA draws advantage

MSU’s eight half -turnover led to eight points for Bruins.

UCLA expanded its lead to 11 on a 3-pointer from Dylan Andrews only 2:59 into half. It looked like the Spartans were cooked. Their revenue problem intensified after the break. They coughed up the ball four times in the first 3:30 in the second period, which led to eight more Bruins points.

“The story of the game is a state – points about turns,” said UCLA coach Mick Cronini. “We only had three revenue. I told the guys if we come to the NCAA tournament and play each game with three revenue, we cut the nets down. It’s hard to do when you play Michigan State.”

When MSU began to protect the ball from there, it began to chip away. And quickly it swollen in a Spartan wave, including a spawning oop lob from Holloman to Carr by 11:13, which got the green part of the Bipartisan audience high as it diped to a five-point deficit.

Akins went on a heater from there, drained a 3-pointer and slices to the basket for a set up. Fuels also started to hit the boards and did small things, including a steal and runout for a layup with 5:26 to play it tied the game on 56-56.

The Bluood stroke was intensified in the last minutes. Akins scored again on a driving with 3:55 back after a UCLA brief regained the lead. Stefanovic drained a wide-opening 3-point with 2:47 back that looked like a potential backbreaker, but Kohler replied to tie it on 61-all by putting an Akins glip back with 2:07 to play.

Back and forth they went, mistakes and stops back and forth. MSU, who fought all night dealing with the shooting watch, had a violation of 1:13 to play, but got a weighted defensive stand from Cooper and Kohler to get the ball back with a chance to take the lead and inside a minute to game.

“I thought it was the most physical game I’ve been in the big ten for a long time,” said Izzo. “Which doesn’t surprise me because Mick, coming from Cincinnati, brought it out here and I think he’s done a hell of a job.

“But it was a physical game both ways and I’m not sure we handled it from a guard position too.”

Then with 24.3 to play, Kohler missed a hook shot and grabbed his own miss. Instead of kicking it out to the perimeter to play for a last shot, he held the ball in the paint and tried to bully to the basket again. He was whistled for the journey as he pulled his foot.

“Mistakes are happening. And frankly, the best thing you can do is learn from it,” Kohler said. “I try not to hang my head and think sin on myself because coach is always on us every day so as not to think sin on ourselves because it is the worst thing you can do after a loss.”

Dailey attacked and scored through the Cooper of Cooper and Carr for the only points of the last 2:07. Then Akins’ Heave went by the buzzer as the senior collapsed on the field in front of MSU’s bench in frustration.

“I looked well. I missed it. I just felt immediately bad,” said Akins. “I have to make that shot to help our team win the game. I have to make that shot so it’s on me.”

Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @Chrissolari.

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