UCLA HC Mick Cronin makes his feelings known about refereeing vs North Carolina
UCLA coach Mick Cronin talked about the refereeing after his team squandered a 16-point lead and fell 76-74 to North Carolina at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The Bruins played much of the second half without star forward Tyler Bilodeau, who was sidelined with foul trouble. Bilodeau picked up his fourth foul on a contentious block-charge call, forcing him to the bench for nearly seven minutes.
The Tar Heels capitalized on his absence, erasing a 40-32 halftime deficit to mount a comeback. In the postgame press conference, Cronin pointed to Bilodeau's extended time on the bench as a key factor in the loss.
“Tyler played great. I’m not going to comment on officiating. Him going out changed the game,” Cronin said. “If they hadn’t given him the charge, we would be having a different press conference. We kept him out until under five, especially with the way the game was being called. (2:29)
“The only adjustment that mattered in the second half was Tyler Bilodeau’s fourth foul. Their lineup was not tough. The problem was that Bilodeau wasn’t in. We played four guards for the whole second half. They’ve got seven McDonald’s All Americans and a great coach.”
Bilodeau was the top scorer in the game, with 26 points. The forward also acknowledged his foul, pointing out his frustration for not being in the game to help his teammates.
Mick Cronin calls out point guard after UCLA's loss vs North Carolina
Mick Cronin did not mince words when calling out his point guard for not being good enough in the loss. Starting point guard Dylan Andrews struggled in the game, making three turnovers and finishing -14.
The backup point guard, Skyy Clark, was a bit better at taking care of the basketball. But he also fell short as he finished 0-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Clark was also fouled out. He finished the game with four assists and no turnovers.
“Hard to win when two things — when your point guard play is -14 and you turn it over late in the game,” Cronin said. “And he’s -14. And you miss eight free throws in the second half. Two of those front ends of the bonus from your other point guard. Hard to win. Hard to win.”
The Bruins are now 10-2, with most of their wins coming from home games. They will host Gonzaga Bulldogs on Sunday.