This post was updated Nov. 19 at 12:37 a.m.

In its first-ranked affair – and first real test of the season – No. 19 UCLA men’s basketball (3-1) fell 69-65 to then-No. 5 Arizona (4-0) Friday night at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, a contest that honored the late Bruin legend Bill Walton. The Bruins led the Wildcats by as much as 10 with 13:12 remaining in the first half and as much as eight with 7:18. Daily Bruin Sports editor Connor Dullinger shares his five main takeaways from the Bruins’ first loss of the 2025-2026 season.

Crunch time? Flatline.

UCLA should not have lost this game.

After going into halftime down three points – despite leading by double-digits just 10 minutes prior – the Bruins came out firing at the start of the second quarter. The Bruins went on a 12-2 second-half run, despite the Wildcats hitting a 60% second-half shooting percentage.

But the Bruins lost nearly all their steam in the last five minutes.

Arizona went on a 10-5 run, and guard Jaden Bradley dropped seven straight points that started with 2:12 remaining. The Wildcat’s backcourt option dominated the game in its dying embers, scoring two layups – one of which was uncontested – and a wide-open 3-pointer from the wing.

A coach Mick Cronin-led defense does not falter. It seemed, however, to lack the tenacity to force turnovers and make the Wildcats attempt low-percentage shots with the game on the line. The defensive unit’s slow rotations led to open jump shots and free lanes to the rim.

The Bruins’ response: shooting 3-for-7 from the field in the last three minutes.

It seemed poor shot selection and inefficiency marred the Bruins’ last few possessions. Senior guards Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark combined for 2-for-5 shooting across the last three minutes. UCLA’s offense lacked the movement, on and off the ball, to produce open and high-percentage looks.

The UCLA offense shot 9-for-17 from beyond the arc Friday night, but when it came down to the wire – the Bruins faltered.

Missing assignment.

If you told me forward Koa Peat’s or guard Jaden Bradley’s 25-point performances led the Wildcats to a victory over the Bruins, I would not be surprised.

But if you told me Anthony Dell’Orso’s 20 points sealed the deal, I would tell you the Bruins made a fatal mistake.

Don’t get me wrong, the guard is a solid player for the No. 4-ranked team in the country, but he still ranks third on the team in scoring.

His bread and butter rely heavily on his proficiency from beyond the arc. After he drained his second 3-pointer, you would think the Bruins would protect against one of the squad’s most lethal shooters.

Yet, the former 2023 Big South Conference Freshman of the Year shot 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-7 from long range, including the lead-taking 3-pointer with 2:54 remaining in the game.

Dell’Orso also added two free throws in the contest’s twilight to put the Bruins down four and the nail in the coffin.

The Arizona sharpshooter was magical from beyond the arc, but if you are going to fall to Arizona, it cannot be at the hands of Dell’Orso.

Shadows.

Donovan Dent was not himself Friday night.

Granted, he was coming off an injury that kept him out of practices and games, including UCLA’s last game against West Georgia. But he was not the dominant guard who flashed his Bruin potential in previous games.

The senior guard shot 5-for-16 from the field, and he struggled to get clean looks at the rim or open jump shots.

That, however, did not define the contributions the former AP All-American honorable mention made. He added a team-leading eight assists alongside three rebounds against Arizona.

When he wasn’t scoring, he was finding his teammates for open looks and leading fast break opportunities.

I don’t think Dent’s performance is indicative of what he is and what he will be. Injury could have riddled his performance. Cronin has repeated that Dent has yet to show his full potential in a UCLA uniform.

Dent struggled in the Bruins’ first ranked affair of the year, but he has consistently led or ranked second in scoring in each game this season, while leading the team in assists.

The senior will bounce back – but his outing Friday showed his first sign of weakness as a Bruin.

Who’s on the pine?

Cronin said after the game that his squad needs to improve depth production.

And the stat sheets confirmed his statements.

The Wildcats outscored the Bruins’ bench 28-3. In addition to Dell’Orso’s offensive explosion, Tobe Awaka notched eight points and 10 rebounds on 4-for-8 shooting from the field.

Sophomore Trent Perry added just three points – marking his first game with fewer than nine points. This came after a performance when he notched 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds against West Georgia on Monday.

Perry’s lack of action in almost a full half of play could be an indication that the backcourt option should get more looks or take more attempts from the field.

But apart from the former McDonald’s All-American, redshirt senior center Steven Jamerson II, fifth-year guard Jamar Brown and redshirt sophomore forward Brandon Williams combined for just 24 minutes and 0-for-3 shooting from the field.

Brown’s seven minutes were his least this season, playing 23, 12 and 30 minutes in the first three games. The Missouri-Kansas City transfer did not record a single shot despite taking five-plus shots across the first three contests.

UCLA’s depth did not contribute against Arizona, but I can’t be sure they were given the opportunity to.

The standard is the standard.

It seems Tyler Bilodeau is the staple that binds the Bruin squad together.

He doesn’t boast the athleticism of Dent. Cronin said it himself.

“Tyler’s never going to be the most athletic guy out there – but, you know, he can give you 15 to 25,” Cronin said.

The forward does not possess the novelty or youth of Perry, the flair and defensive prowess of Clark or the offensive skillset of junior forward/center Xavier Booker. But still, Bilodeau averages a team-leading 17 points per game and led the squad with 19 points on a 70% shooting percentage from the field Friday.

He boasts ultra-efficient shooting percentages of 55.3% from the field and 43.8% from beyond the arc this season.

Bilodeau has struggled defensively and on the glass since moving to the four, but his offensive prowess has not faltered.

He gets baskets when the Bruins need it most and is one of – if not the most – trusted offensive weapons on the court at any given time.

The starting power forward will be the Bruins’ most consistent contributor day in and day out, win or lose.