This post was updated Feb. 14 at 10:52 p.m.

Free throws have haunted the Bruins all season long.

And it was no different Friday night, as a pair of misses on the front end of 1-and-1s put a victory in jeopardy.

But with an opportunity to seal the game, junior guard Dylan Andrews stepped up to the line.

Swish.

Swish. 

Surviving a late game scare, UCLA men’s basketball (19-7, 10-5 Big Ten) narrowly escaped Indiana (15-11, 6-9) by a score of 72-68. The Bruins earned their first win of the season outside the Pacific and Mountain time zones as the bench contributed 27 points to the victory in Bloomington, Indiana.

“You’ve got to stay calm, stay poised and just know for a fact it’s going to come down to the last possession,” Andrews said.  “Luckily, Mgbako (Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako) missed that 3-point shot and I was able to grab the rebound and sink those two free throws.”

Though the Hoosiers hung around in striking distance for much of the second half, the Bruins warded them off, maintaining a multiple possession lead until just seconds remained on the clock. 

Up seven with 1:18 remaining, victory seemed to be within grasp for UCLA. But a dead ball technical foul committed by sophomore guard Sebastian Mack spurred a 5-0 run in favor of Indiana – drawing them within two.

However, the Bruins sentenced the Hoosiers to the same fate as Michigan State with another late-game defensive stand.

And much like its most recent contest against Illinois, UCLA shot the ball from beyond the arc effectively. 

Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau followed his career night from deep with a 3-pointer on the opening possession. Senior guard Lazar Stefanovic – who failed to score in his previous two outings – also found the bottom of the net early and finished with five points, six rebounds and two assists.

But it wasn’t just Stefanovic who gave the team a boost off the bench.

“We were all ready today,” said sophomore guard Sebastian Mack. “Great contributions from Trent (freshman guard Trent Perry), Laz (senior guard Lazar Stefanovic) on the boards and everything. I feel like we were all dialed in, we wanted this one.”

The Bruin reserves matched Indiana starting five’s scoring output in the first half at 19 points apiece. 

Aday Mara made an immediate impact, stuffing Hoosier center Oumar Ballo and slamming a bucket home on his first sequence on the floor. Despite losing 11 pounds due to his recent illness, the 7-foot-3 sophomore center added five rebounds and two blocks to go along with eight points. 

Mack, Perry and junior forward William Kyle III also joined in on the party as all 10 Bruins who saw action scored in the first half.

“When they decided they were going to play small tonight, it was a chance to play Trent and get him minutes,” Cronin said. “He’s had a great attitude throughout being a McDonald’s All-American and having choppy minutes – you can’t possibly have a better attitude than him.” 

Cronin’s squad also held Indiana without a field goal for a nearly eight minute stretch, allowing UCLA to build a double digit halftime lead.    

However, Hoosier coach Mike Woodson’s halftime adjustments quickly paid dividends. 

With Ballo and forward Malik Reneau – who combined for 33 points in their previous matchup against Michigan State – struggling down low in the opening period, forward Luke Goode stretched the floor with his perimeter shooting. 

Indiana drew closer behind the shooting of Goode and Mgbako, who combined for 22 second-half points on 8-for-18 shooting, but were ultimately unable to reclaim a lead. 

“You don’t just come to Indiana and win a game like that,” Andrews said. “It’s a credit to my teammates, a credit to my coach, just a credit to everybody, man. It’s a big win for us.”