This post was updated Nov. 24 at 8:20 p.m.

Mick Cronin’s first year as a Bruin head coach was nothing short of a rollercoaster. 

A 19-12 finish to the season featured a 77-74 loss to the Titans – a defeat that impelled Cronin to issue an apology for the team’s lackluster defensive performance. 

“I apologize to our fans for our defensive effort,” Cronin said after the 2019 game. “(If) you can’t defend, you can’t win.”

In stark contrast to five years ago, Cronin’s defense steered UCLA men’s basketball (5-1) to exact revenge against Cal State Fullerton (1-5) to the tune of an 80-47 victory. The Bruins held the Titans to just 28.8% shooting from the field as the former logged their fourth consecutive victory. 

Kobe Johnson’s six steals – the first of which yielded an emphatic tomahawk slam in transition for sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. – tied a career high.

The senior guard has been in conversations for National Defensive Player of the Year – which would make him the second in three years under Cronin’s guidance after Jaylen Clark won the award in 2022. 

“He can do it,” Cronin said. “He’s got great hands.”

The Bruins thrived on turnovers, generating 27 points off of 21 Titan giveaways. 

After struggling defensively in the second half against Idaho State on Wednesday, UCLA made an immediate statement Friday night, forcing a shot clock violation on the Titans’ first possession.

And at the other end, Tyler Bilodeau rocked the rim with a two-hand jam through contact. The junior forward put his range on display barely 40 seconds later, knocking down a jumper from beyond the arc. 

Dylan Andrews – making his first start in four games – followed suit shortly after, drilling one of his own from deep. After a two-game absence and just 13 minutes on the court Wednesday, the junior guard failed to register another point in the opening half but finished the game with eight. 

However, points were not Cronin’s focus when evaluating Andrews’ performance on the night.

“All I care is, you got four assists and no turnovers,” Cronin said. “And you have four deflections. That ties his whole season – he’s got four.”

Despite playing sound defense early, the Bruins could not shake off the Titans’ grasp. With just five minutes till half, forward Davis Bynum canned a three-pointer after a Titan offensive rebound to draw his team within five. 

Fullerton continued to dispatch shots from deep but to little success – finishing the night on 15-of-52 shooting, despite an efficient clip through the game’s opening minutes. 

“We stayed focused. We talked about playing 40 minutes,” Cronin said. “If you’re going to be a real team, you’ve got to get better as the game goes on.”

Though Cronin’s squad forced 11 first-half turnovers to just three of its own, rebounding did not come easy. The Titans generated seven offensive rebounds through 20 minutes – two more than the Bruins were able to muster. 

“We got out-rebounded – not by a lot, but we shouldn’t be getting out-rebounded by teams like this,” Johnson said. “We got to focus on hitting our man and going to get the ball and being strong with it.” 

But over the last 5 1/2 minutes, UCLA’s offense and defense began to work in tandem. An 11-2 run earned the Bruins a 39-25 advantage going into the locker rooms at half. 

Aday Mara didn’t see any action in the first half – and his status meant it was unclear if he was going to see the floor at all. 

“Before the game, the training staff told me they didn’t know if he was going to play. He was having bad headaches. He told me wasn’t feeling well,” Cronin said. “But then he wanted to play, so – and he looked good to me.”

But when the sophomore center finally entered the game with 13:34 remaining, the crowd applauded – the loudest Pauley Pavilion was all night, barring a spotlight on the members of UCLA women’s basketball and a buzzer-beater during “Frat Faceoff” at halftime. 

And after being subbed in, Mara didn’t give Cronin a reason to take him out. 

The 7-foot-3 big immediately injected life into the late-night Bruin faithful. Mara stuffed the stat sheet in his 13 minutes of action, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds and a pair each of assists and blocks. 

With Mara in the game, the lead only ballooned further, stretching by an additional 13 points until the final buzzer sounded. 

“There’s a bunch of new guys at the end of the day, so there’s definitely going to be some struggles in the beginning,” said freshman guard Trent Perry. “Each game, each practice – we keep getting better, keep building.”