LOS ANGELES — Aday Mara delivered an impressive performance, scoring a career-high 22 points as UCLA triumphed over No. 18 Wisconsin with a close score of 85-83 on Tuesday night. This victory halted the Badgers’ seven-game winning streak.

Sebastian Mack contributed significantly with 19 points, while Tyler Bilodeau added 16 points to the Bruins’ count before fouling out with 1:40 left in the game. The duo of Mara and Mack was particularly potent in the game’s final minutes, combining for 13 consecutive points that helped to secure the win. Mara, towering at 7-foot-3, showcased remarkable shooting by hitting all 7 of his field-goal attempts and connecting 8 times out of 11 from the free-throw line.

On the other side, John Tonje was the standout for Wisconsin, scoring 24 points, including an impressive 6 of 7 from beyond the arc. His teammate, John Blackwell, managed to score 23 points, contributing heavily to the Badgers’ offense. With just a minute left, Wisconsin closed the gap to 81-80 with a pivotal 3-pointer from Blackwell. However, Mack was quickly fouled. He made one free throw but then missed a second attempt. Blackwell had a chance to tie the game with a jumper in the paint, but it was blocked by UCLA’s William Kyle III. Shortly after, Blackwell fouled out, leading to Skyy Clark sinking two free throws to give UCLA an 84-80 lead. Following a timeout, Tonje sank another 3-pointer, bringing Wisconsin to within one point at 84-83 with just half a second remaining. The Badgers were then compelled to foul, allowing Clark to make the first free throw and intentionally miss the second.

In the aftermath of the game, some key takeaways emerged. For Wisconsin, despite a solid turnout of red-clad fans at Pauley Pavilion, they could not achieve a sweep of the Los Angeles teams after their victory against Southern California the previous weekend. On the other hand, UCLA improved its home record to 10-1, marking their second consecutive victory.

A crucial moment came during the second half when the Badgers went nearly five minutes without scoring a field goal, leading to a nine-point deficit during a stretch where the Bruins scored six points consecutively.

Both teams demonstrated high shooting efficiency, each ending the game with 51% from the floor. Wisconsin excelled at the free-throw line, making 18 out of 21 attempts, while UCLA converted 21 of their 28 free throws.

Looking ahead, Wisconsin will be hosting Nebraska on Sunday, while UCLA is set to travel to face Washington on Friday.