UCLA Coach Mick Cronin Expresses Disappointment After Loss to Indiana
Mick Cronin, the UCLA basketball coach, expressed frustration, noting that his players should have anticipated the game’s final moments as they awaited the clock to run out.
In the lead-up to the much-anticipated matchup against Indiana, Cronin had demonstrated 15 of the Hoosiers’ key inbounds plays. They practiced this five times just the day before, repeated it five more times that night, and even went through it again on game day. Yet, it seems the message didn’t resonate.
As the clock ticked down on Saturday with just 1.5 seconds left in double overtime, Indiana’s Trent Sisley executed one of those very plays perfectly, receiving a bounce pass that set him up for an easy layup.
In a last-ditch effort, UCLA’s Donovan Dent fouled Sisley, sending him to the free-throw line for the potential game-winning shot.
The result? Indiana snatched a remarkable 98-97 victory, leaving Pauley Pavilion in stunned silence.
“We played terrible defense all night. We deserved to lose,” Cronin remarked, clearly upset with the outcome.
This defeat halted UCLA’s three-game winning streak and was especially surprising given the dramatic events of the last 12 minutes.
The Bruins (15-7 overall, 7-4 Big Ten) believed they might regain possession after a contentious out-of-bounds call. They had fought back from a 10-point deficit with just two minutes left in regulation. However, in a controversial moment, officials ruled that UCLA’s Brandon Williams had stepped out while contesting Sisley’s missed shot, a decision Cronin later challenged.
Despite fan reactions suggesting the ball had gone off Sisley, the officials maintained their decision, awarding the ball back to Indiana (15-7, 6-5). Cronin viewed the replays post-game and expressed skepticism about the call.
“Our staff said it was our ball, and it looked to me like it was off Indiana’s elbow,” he said, unsure after reviewing footage. “That’s what I perceived.”
Cronin was also critical of the defensive struggles against Indiana players Nick Doane (26 points), Lamar Wilkerson (24 points), and Reid Bailey (24 points).
“They clearly didn’t follow our scouting report,” Cronin stated. “And that’s why we lost. Winning and losing often comes down to execution. Trust me, I’ve won over 500 games—I know talent differences exist, but it’s not always the deciding factor.”
Brandon Perry hit a critical 3-pointer just two seconds before regulation ended, giving hope as the Bruins rallied from a 10-point deficit.
“I just wanted to win,” Perry shared, leading the team with 25 points. “Everyone was energized and determined not to lose this game.”
Ultimately, UCLA struggled with defensive lapses and consistent layup misses—particularly by Dent, who played all 50 minutes but made only 8 of 23 shots for a total of 24 points.
“There were times where we let one missed shot affect the next,” Cronin noted. “We went through periods of frustration and it felt like we were a bunch of toddlers who’d lost a toy.”
As the interview continued, a reporter brought up the halftime recognition of alumni spanning 80 years of UCLA basketball, prompting Cronin to reflect further.
“Honestly, I feel even worse about this loss, given that we have the best alumni in college basketball history,” he remarked, his disappointment still evident.
