The only time UCLA showed sustained fight Saturday was in accepting the blame for what went wrong in a 74-72 loss to Belmont at Pauley Pavilion.
Coach Steve Alford heaped criticism upon himself, saying his team’s low energy and inability to make free throws or execute in the final minutes was all on him.
Small forward Kris Wilkes offered a blunt assessment of his play after scoring only one point in the second half.
There was no shortage of regrets after the Bruins wilted in the final minutes, suffering their first setback at home against a mid-major opponent since they dropped their season opener against Monmouth in November 2015.