LOS ANGELES — These schools would’ve never played each other at this time of year before. 

But as the Wildcats (9-11, 1-8 Big Ten) fell 71-64 to UCLA in their first-ever meeting at the iconic Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, the teams began a soon-to-be-familiar tradition as conference realignment has brought NU and the Bruins (14-6, 6-3 Big Ten) closer than college basketball fans might have ever imagined.

Just a few years ago, the ’Cats wouldn’t have been playing a January game steps away from students competing in outdoor intramural soccer matches and fans eating ice cream while basking in the sun. Back in Evanston, fans were bunkering away from below-zero windchill temperatures at the Luna’s Pub watch party with $1 wings.

While warm weather seemed to deliver good vibes as a starting lineup featuring three freshmen helped win NU its first conference game at USC earlier in the week, the same group appeared to dry up across town as the team shot 37.7% from the floor. 

Despite splitting the games, coach Chris Collins said it was a productive week for the ’Cats to regain confidence following a 0-7 start to conference play. 

“We got better this week,” Collins said. “We were able to come out here and split the two games. We came out here kind of a battered team, a little bit demoralized being 0-7, and I think we regained some spirit on the trip.” 

Dribble penetration was a problem as the Bruins created opportunities for forward Tyler Bilodeau, who scored 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Once NU started forcing the ball away from him, guard Trent Perry began to take over, also finishing with 18 points. 

UCLA shot 49.1% from the floor, fueled by a 61.5% first-half effort that built a lead they would not lose. In the first half, guards Donovan Dent and Perry easily beat defenders and found Bilodeau. 

While the ’Cats adjusted well at halftime to prevent UCLA from beating them on straight-line drives — and holding the Bruins to 37% shooting in the second period — their poor first-half setup created too deep a hole.

“(Bilodeau’s 16 points) in the first half, coupled with the guard’s penetration, gave them that double-digit lead, which was tough for us,” Collins said.

Despite NU seemingly resolving offensive issues at times — namely 3-point shooting — its scoring disappeared for large stretches of the game while the Bruins took advantage. 

Freshman forward Tre Singleton was the ’Cats’ early aggressor, scoring six points to help open a 10-6 lead, but he only finished with 12 points on 2-for-8 shooting. As he faded, UCLA quickly got ahead 16-12 behind Bilodeau’s 3-for-3 start from the floor. 

Meanwhile, NU’s first-half cold stretch lasted almost eight minutes as it let a four-point lead turn into a nine-point deficit that proved too large to overcome.  

Senior forward Nick Martinelli contributed with his usual 20 points and eight rebounds, but he shot an inefficient 8-for-19 from the field. He was also cold from beyond the arc, knocking down none of his four 3-point attempts.

“(UCLA) made (Martinelli) take his efficiency; made him take 19 shots to get 20 points,” Collins said.

Junior guard Jordan Clayton — who had shot 22.5% from beyond the arc entering Saturday — made both of his initial 3-point attempts. But similarly, he couldn’t follow through as the game progressed, finishing with nine points on 3-for-5 shooting. 

The ’Cats’ overall ineffectiveness made it simple for the Bruins to extend their lead as the afternoon progressed, opening the second half with a 10-5 run to bring their advantage to 51-36.

NU didn’t go away as it cut UCLA’s lead to six points with 2:54 remaining after a 7-0 run. But, the Bruins responded with back-to-back scoring possessions to shut the door. 

Despite Saturday’s loss, Clayton said the team’s “vibe” had changed as it competed in Los Angeles. He noted they were competing with greater intensity and said he hopes they return to Evanston with similar energy. 

“Overall, our style of play, how we’re competing, got a lot better, and I think that’ll propel us to get some wins hopefully,” Clayton said.

All afternoon, UCLA’s student section, The Den, was ready to embrace its foe. It hounded junior guard Jayden Reid — who scored one point — with “airball” chants on several occasions. 

Its pregame rooting guide, “The Dirt From the Den,” compared Martinelli to a sloth, made fun of Dillo Day and joked about NU for hiring former UCLA Football coach Chip Kelly.

This Saturday afternoon, the Bruins backed up their trash talk as they welcomed their relatively new conference rival, the ’Cats. 

And as the game concluded, the same “airball” chants rang down as Clayton missed a deep triple. 

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