No. 19 UCLA returns home after a challenging weekend against Top 20 opponents in Las Vegas, facing a stiff test from an upstart Pepperdine team on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
The Bruins (3–2) dropped heartbreakers to Illinois and Baylor on Friday and Sunday, respectively, as part of the Continental Tires Main Event tournament.
UCLA squandered a 15-point edge in the opening-round defeat to the Fighting Illini, then struggled to deny Baylor key baskets down the stretch of Sunday’s 80–75 loss.
“We’re not good enough to win either game, defensively, and that’s my job,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “We’ve worked hard at it. We’re just not there yet. Not against a team like this.”…