The UCLA Bruins absorbed yet another loss in the 2023-24 college basketball season on Wednesday, as they fell prey to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the consolation round of the Allstate Maui Invitational in Honolulu, 69-65. Freshman center Aday Mara started at the center slot for UCLA basketball in the game, but he lasted just three minutes with three fouls while having zero points and no rebounds to show.

Mara struggled on both ends of the floor in the short time he was on the court, leaving UCLA basketball head coach Mick Cronin offering a bit of advice for the first-year player from Spain.

“Just trying to win the game,” Cronin said of Mara, per The Los Angeles Times. “He’s got to get better — great kid, he’s got to get better.”

While Mara and UCLA basketball's big men collectively disappointed, Gonzaga's senior power forward Anton Watson muscled his way through for 32 points on an incredibly efficient 14-for-15 shooting from the field and 1-for-4 from the free-throw line.

At 7-3, Mara should be learning to become the weapon for UCLA basketball to counter such dominance, but he appears to need more work and exposure to perform that role effectively — and consistently. So far in the season, Mara is averaging only 4.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in only 10.8 minutes per contest. However, his 1.2 blocks per outing average is impressive, considering his limited playing time.

Aday Mara and UCLA basketball have a chance to recover this coming Thursday when the Bruins return home to take on the UC Riverside Highlanders.