Idaho State Bengals vs. UCLA Bruins Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 20th 2024

Preview and Prediction

UCLA is currently flying under the radar this year, while their defense has been exceptional.

The Bruins have given up an average of 45.0 points in their three victories as they prepare to face off against Idaho State on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

UCLA (3-1) secured wins of 35 points against Rider, 31 points against Boston University, and 40 points against Lehigh thanks to their energetic and aggressive defensive play. However, they did suffer a 72-64 loss to New Mexico on November 8th in Henderson, Nevada.

The Bruins are currently ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 51.8 points per game, and 28th in field-goal percentage defense at 35.4%.

"I believe that defensively, we just need to continue doing what we do every game," stated Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. after their dominating 85-45 victory over Lehigh. "We need to play aggressively and force teams to play at a faster pace, causing them to make mistakes. This has been our strategy and it has been working, building our reputation as a strong defensive team."

Head coach Mick Cronin was satisfied with the team's performance, but believes they can still improve.

"When you hold a team to only 45 points, your effort is usually exceptional," said Cronin. "I am proud of our defense once again, but I know there are still areas we can clean up and improve on."

Leading the way for UCLA is Oregon State transfer Tyler Bilodeau, averaging 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Dailey, a transfer from Oklahoma State, is also making an impact with 11 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Idaho State (2-3) split their first two games of a three-game road trip, defeating San Diego 78-66 on Saturday before falling to Cal State Fullerton 62-61 on Monday.

Jake O'Neil had a standout performance for the Bengals on Monday with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals. Washington State transfer Dylan Darling also contributed 17 points.

Darling is currently leading the team in scoring with an average of 13.8 points and 5.2 assists per game.

"He is the type of player that his teammates love to play with because of his ability to distribute the ball perfectly and at the right time," said Idaho State coach Ryan Looney.

O'Neil is averaging 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, while Isaiah Griffin is contributing 12.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. The Bengals have also been dominant on the boards, outrebounding their opponents by an average of 12.4 boards per game.

UCLA has a 3-1 all-time record against Idaho State, but the Bengals' victory in 1977 still remains one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history. Idaho State shocked a UCLA team that included future NBA stars Marques Johnson and Kiki Vandeweghe with a 76-75 win in the Sweet 16.

PREDICTION

Idaho State Bengals

UCLA Bruins

Idaho State Bengals vs. UCLA Bruins Recap NOV 20TH 2024

Sebastian Mack scored 21 points and Tyler Bilodeau added 20 to help UCLA record an 84-70 victory over Idaho State on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Mack connected on 15 of 16 free-throw attempts and Bilodeau made all four of his 3-point shots for the Bruins (4-1). Eric Dailey Jr. added 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and collected seven rebounds for UCLA.

Isaiah Griffin scored 16 points and Dylan Darling added 13 for the Bengals (2-4), who fell to 1-4 all-time against the Bruins. Idaho State's win was the memorable 76-75 upset of a powerhouse UCLA team in the Sweet 16 of the 1977 NCAA Tournament.

UCLA shot 57.4 percent from the field, including 9 of 14 (64.3 percent) from 3-point range.

The Bengals connected on 44.4 percent of their attempts and were 11 of 33 (33.3 percent) from behind the arc. AJ Burgin added 11 points and Jaedyn Brown had 10 for Idaho State.

UCLA led by 15 before Bilodeau went on a personal 8-0 run, hitting two 3-pointers and a jumper, boosting the lead to 61-38 with 12:09 remaining.

A short time later, the Bruins' Dylan Andrews and Trent Perry each made a 3-pointer during a 35-second span to make it a 28-point margin with 10:24 remaining.

Idaho State later made six straight field-goal attempts as part of a 15-3 run to pull within 75-59 with 4:10 left.

Bilodeau hit a jumper to stem the tide as the Bruins finished off the victory.

Dailey scored 12 points and Mack added 11 while leading UCLA to a 41-27 edge at the break. Mack made all nine of his free-throw attempts in the half.

Idaho State led 12-10 after a 3-pointer by Griffin with 13:51 left in the first half before the Bruins scored 10 straight points. Bilodeau and Dailey each made treys during the burst.

The Bengals were later down by seven with 7:21 to play in the half, but UCLA scored 13 of the next 16 points. Perry was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer and made all three attempts to cap the surge and make it 39-22 with 3:39 left in the half.

Griffin had 12 first-half points for the Bengals.