The No. 22 UCLA Bruins will leave Nevada with their first loss of the season. A 72-64 loss to New Mexico brought with it a host of mistakes and improvements that needed to be made for Mick Cronin’s group.

The Bruins fell early and were unable to recover from the Lobos’ impressive shooting performance. The Lobos shot 51% from the field and 40% from three-point range and couldn’t have shot better as they improved to 2-0.

Regardless of the Lobos’ shooting, a total of 64 points isn’t enough to win many ball games. The Bruins turned the ball over 21 times, leading to 21 fewer turnovers. Junior guard Dylan Andrews led the team with six turnovers.

The only Bruin to score in double figures was junior transfer forward Tyler Bilodeau. He set season highs in a few categories, scoring 23 points on 8-of-20 shooting while grabbing 15 rebounds. It’s Bilodeau’s first double-double in a Bruins jersey.

The next closest was freshman guard Trent Perry, who finished with 8 points. Guards Skyy Clark and Kobe Johnson would also add 7 each.

One of the biggest issues for the Bruins has been their rebounding ability. The Lobos grabbed six more rebounds, while senior center Nelly Junior Joseph pulled down eight boards, four on the offensive glass. He scored 16 points, 6 of which came from the free throw line.

The Lobos’ leading scorer was junior guard Donovan Dent, who finished with 17 points and eight assists. He did have eight turnovers, but the Bruins couldn’t stop him from getting to the rim and finishing. Nearly all of his buckets landed at or around the basket.

As the season progresses, the Bruins will need to find production from several other players besides Bilodeau. It’s one of the deepest teams in recent years for Cronin, and he has the talent for multiple top scorers. If they can play free basketball, this team will look very different.

The good thing for the Bruins is that they can identify areas of improvement early in the year and work throughout November to fix those keys so they are prepared for Big Ten play. It’s much better to experience the setbacks earlier in the year rather than later, when it matters most.

Make sure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI And @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story.

Let us know your thoughts if you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK HERE