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Bruins suffer their first loss of the season

The No. 22 UCLA Bruins lost 72-64 to New Mexico on Friday night, suffering their first loss of the season. An incredible shooting performance from the Lobos made the difference as the Bruins couldn't keep up and didn't score enough points across the court.

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, Bruins on SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh recaps the Bruins' tough loss to the Lobos on Friday night. The Bruins had several areas of focus over the next few weeks that they needed to improve before Big Ten play begins in early December.

It was a win from start to finish for the Lobos as they got off to a hot start and had a lead they didn't want to lose. The Bruins trailed by 11 points at halftime and couldn't fight back in the second half.

The Lobos shot 51% from the field and 41% from three, shooting 4-15 from distance. For a team that was just 7 of 34 from 3-point range in the season opener, New Mexico coach Richard Pitino made significant adjustments as his team prioritized scoring at the rim rather than throwing up deep balls.

The game plan worked perfectly for the Lobos as junior guard Donovan Dent scored a team-high 17 points and added seven assists. Dent only shot one three-pointer and made most of them in the basket. The Bruins had a hard time stopping him as he drove to the rim.

Bruins leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau finished the game with a double-double, scoring 23 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. He was a monster on the offensive field, recording seven offensive rebounds. Besides Bilodeau, there weren't too many other significant scorers.

The rest of the Bruins' starting five combined for 23 points, the same number Bilodeau earned. In practice this week, an emphasis needs to be placed on having multiple scorers in different positions having a significant impact.

On the bright side, the Bruins are facing adversity very early in the season, which bodes well for later in the year. They have a full month to make improvements and prepare for their first season in the Big Ten. Head coach Mick Cronin will ensure his boys are fit and ready to compete in the conference.

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