This post was updated Feb. 28 at 9:35 p.m.

Hailed as two of the most prestigious men’s basketball programs in the country, the Bruins and Boilermakers have long been intertwined.

John Wooden – one of the most successful coaches in college basketball, garnering 10 national championships through 27 seasons in Westwood – began his basketball journey in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he was the first-ever three-time All-American.

In the 1969 national championship, “The Wizard of Westwood” – whose statue resides outside the iconic Mackey Arena – led the Bruins to their fifth ring with a 20-point victory over the Boilermakers.

And while the Bruins haven’t played the Boilermakers since the 2000-2001 season, the 24-year hiatus didn’t stymie the fanfare that has surrounded the battle between these basketball giants.

Surrounded by 14,876 fans at the Keady Court – touted as one of the most hostile territories in college basketball – UCLA men’s basketball (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten) fell to No. 20 Purdue (20-9, 12-6) by a score of 76-66 on Friday night. The Boilermakers’ victory snapped their four-game losing streak, while the Bruins’ defeat marked their third loss in five games. 

“We had so many lapses that it’s hard to get a flow going when we are making mistakes and they’re just getting out on the break and doing what they do best,” said sophomore guard Sebastian Mack. “I feel like we struggled on the defensive end, we didn’t follow any of what coach said and that hurt us a lot.”

While 7-foot-4 Zach Edey was the focal point of Purdue’s offense for the past two seasons – dominating the inside on a career 62.1% field goal percentage – the Boilermakers’ offense has seemingly switched to a “let it fly” approach. 

Streamlining their 3-point barrage is backcourt tandem Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. 

The two – who have forged their synergy over the past two seasons, one of which featured a national championship run – finished the contest with a combined 34 points on nine converted 3s.

“We got to pay attention more to the scouting report and stopping the ball. I got to do a better job stopping the ball,” said junior forward Tyler Bilodeau.

And while Edey now averages 9.1 points with the Memphis Grizzlies, Trey Kaufman-Renn has imposed Edey’s presence inside. Kaufman-Renn’s interior post moves – particularly his Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-like hook shot – propelled the forward to 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting.  

Kaufman-Renn’s performance was indicative of a larger theme for UCLA: its inability to defend proficient big men, further illustrated by Purdue’s 28 points in the paint compared to the Bruins’ 20. 

“Defensively, I thought Will (junior forward William Kyle III) did okay, he didn’t get to play a whole lot. Will’s plus five, everyone else is minus,” said coach Mick Cronin. “We didn’t get the job done defensively. Give them credit, they got a hell of a team, Smith (Braden Smith) is a great player.”

While the Boilermakers left Mackey Arena with the victory, the Bruins didn’t fully let their counterpart exhale, keeping the game within single digits for majority of the second half and even taking a 42-40 lead. 

And UCLA’s stop-at-nothing tenacity against Purdue isn’t anything new. Down by 16 points against the Fighting Illini with 4:51 remaining, the Bruins went on a 13-0 run to bring the game within reach, before falling by five Feb. 11. 

The ultimate deciding factor of the contest was turnovers. The Bruins, often hailed for their ability to take care of the ball – registering fewer than 10 turnovers in six of their last eight contests – were plagued by poor decisions. UCLA finished the affair with 14 turnovers leading to 15 Purdue points off these changes in possession.

“Our defense wasn’t good enough to win tonight, it’s pretty simple,” Cronin said. “We had too many turnovers.”

The Bruins’ turnover woes were only magnified by poor offensive production, as sophomore center Aday Mara and junior guard Skyy Clark – two of the team’s most trusted scorers in recent games – combined for just six points. 

Purdue iced the game in the final five minutes of the game when Loyer, Smith and forward Camden Heide combined for four made 3-pointers, ultimately sending UCLA packing before it faces Northwestern on Monday.

“This was a great opportunity against a hell of a team in a sold-out building that was going to try to will their team to victory because they were in desperate need for a win,” Cronin said. “We played good for a long period of time, but even with that our shotmaking, … our defense wasn’t what I wanted it to be, and that’s the challenge with us.”