PHILADELPHIA —
At some point soon, valiant showings against quality competition in tough environments aren’t going to be enough.
UCLA arrived here needing not just a quality effort but a victory. Near-upsets against Marquette and Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational that might have boosted spirits did little for the Bruins’ early NCAA tournament resume with only a handful of major-conference opponents remaining before the start of Pac-12 play.
Even after falling out of the national rankings during a recent three-game losing streak, Villanova still represented a chance for UCLA to notch a quality road victory.