Penn State goes scoreless in the final 3:14 to cap off a 78-54 loss at UCLA. This marks the 5th consecutive loss for the Nittany Lions, who have now lost nine of their last ten after starting the year 12-2. With a 3-19 conference record, Penn State is now in sole possession of 17th place in the Big Ten, only one game ahead of last place Washington, who visit State College one week from today’s game.

To say the Nittany Lions’ offense struggled in today’s loss would be an understatement. They shot just 38% from the field, including just 23.8% from behind the arc. Zach Hicks was the only player with double figures in the scoring column, notching 14 points on eight field goal attempts. Freddie Dilione V, a bright spot in January despite the team’s struggles, scored just two points on eight field goal attempts.

However, the biggest problem today was the turnovers. UCLA turned the ball over just four times compared to Penn State’s 18. The Bruins scored 24 points off those 18 turnovers, whereas the Nittany Lions couldn’t convert any of their four forced turnovers into scores at the other end. In a game decided by 24 points, a 24-point differential in the points off turnovers category feels extremely relevant.

The losses of Puff Johnson and Yanic Konan Niederhauser have significantly hurt the Nittany Lions inside game. In similar fashion to the rec hall game against Ohio State just last week, Penn State got dominated down low. The Bruins had four more offensive rebounds and 22 more points in the paint. They also had 16 more dunk and layup opportunities than Penn State, resulting in 24 more points off layups and dunks. Again, this is a stat that feels quite relevant in a game lost by 24.

Penn State completes its California road trip on Tuesday, February 11th, by visiting USC. The match is set to tip off at 9:00 p.m. eastern time. Following this, the Nittany Lions return home to play Washington on Saturday, February 15th, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Wednesday, February 19th.