Mick Cronin wasn’t kidding about taking punitive measures to get his team playing better.
Just 26 seconds into UCLA’s game against Pepperdine on Friday night, Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau committed a needless foul. It was enough to make Bilodeau’s coach go to his bench, Cronin subbing in Brandon Williams for Bilodeau, who remained on the bench for more than five minutes.
It was a decision that seemed to send its intended message.
After a sloppy start, the No. 12 Bruins turned up the intensity, exerted some defensive pressure and pulled away for a 74-63 victory at Pauley Pavilion that served as a solid rebuttal to their coach’s challenge.