Tuesday’s game between the No. 18 Wisconsin basketball and the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles was an entertaining one, especially for those who love high-scoring college games.
Both teams shot well, with the Badgers making 51.0 percent of their attempts from the floor and the Bruins knocking down 50.9 percent of theirs. But when it was all said and done on the floor, UCLA came out on top with an 85-83 victory, snapping Wisconsin’s seven-game win streak and handing Greg Gard’s team its first loss since the calendar flipped to 2025.
The loss to UCLA was a reality check for Wisconsin basketball. Gard said following the contest that while his team’s offense performed well, the Badgers’ defense was far from impressive.
Via Wisconsin athletics writer Benjamin Worgull:
Greg Gard pointed out the obvious, #Badgers were good enough offensively to win but committed too many problems with their defense’s inability to guard dribble drives, take away the paint production and turnovers.
Wisconsin basketball floundered defensively vs. UCLA
Although UCLA shot just 6-for-19 from behind the arc, the Bruins made a living inside the 3-point line and in the paint. The Bruins went 23-for-38 on their 2-point tries. Wisconsin also forced only seven turnovers, while UCLA had the Badgers coughing the ball up 13 times.
So far in the 2024-25 college basketball season, Wisconsin is ninth nationally with 122.8 points per 100 possessions adjusted, according to KenPom. However, the Badgers are just 57th with a 99.5 adjusted defensive efficiency and only 291st in defensive turnover rate (15.7).
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