Maryland beats No. 22 UCLA 79-61; Bruins coach Cronin ejected with 5:11 remaining

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 27 points and Maryland topped No. 22 UCLA 79-61 on Friday night after Bruins coach Mick Cronin was ejected with 5:11 remaining.

UCLA (11-5, 2-3 Big Ten) has lost three straight, including a 19-point home defeat against Michigan on Tuesday night, after which Cronin called his team “soft” and “delusional.” On Friday, his frustration boiled over with Maryland up by nine.

After Julian Reese came up with a rebound for the Terrapins (12-4, 2-3), Cronin received two quick technical fouls and was tossed, shaking hands with Maryland coach Kevin Willard on the way out.

Gillespie made all four of the resulting free throws, and Reese completed the six-point possession with a layup to make it 66-51.

Reese had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Bilodeau led UCLA with 18 points.

Takeaways

UCLA: The Bruins did some good work on the offensive boards, but scoring was an issue thanks to 21 turnovers. The more long-term question is whether Cronin’s outburst — following his pointed postgame comments — will spark the team.

Maryland: It was a gritty performance that the Terps turned into a rout after Cronin’s ejection. Maryland held the Bruins to 41.5% shooting from the field.

Key moment

Maryland led 40-36 at halftime and then began the second with Rodney Rice’s 3-pointer and Reese’s layup. There was plenty of time left, but a nine-point lead proved to be safe given the way Maryland was defending.

Key stat

Maryland had an 11-0 run in the first half that gave the Terps the lead for good. Then they added a 10-0 spurt toward the end of the game. Maryland now has 22 runs of 10-0 or better this season after producing 16 all of last season.

Up next

UCLA stays east and plays at Rutgers on Monday night. Maryland hosts Minnesota the same night.

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