UCLA Basketball Shows Grit in NCAA Tournament Win

PHILADELPHIA — Skye Clark, UCLA’s guard, bore a battered but defiant grin after a tough game.

Despite taking an elbow to the face, his toughness showcased the team’s resilience as they faced UCF in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.

The Bruins had to navigate the game without their leading scorer, Tyler Bilodeau, who was sidelined due to a knee injury. The team faced challenges, missing several key free throws in the closing minutes and struggling against backcourt pressure.

Clark managed to stay on the court for just 19 minutes because of foul issues, and teammate Jack Seidler even had to deal with a tooth extraction after Clark’s incident on the court.

“It’s like being a boxer,” Coach Mick Cronin remarked, pointing out how players sometimes laugh despite the chaos in the locker room. “There’s blood everywhere.”

In the end, it was the seventh-seeded Bruins who came out on top, sealing a 75-71 victory against the 10th-seeded Knights at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

UCLA (24-11) is set to face second-seeded UConn on Sunday after surviving tense moments during the game.

This match wasn’t without its challenges, that’s for sure. At one point, UCF was down by 14 points, but then Jordan Burks hit a crucial corner three-pointer with just 10 seconds remaining, narrowing the gap to three. Quickly, the Knights trapped UCLA’s Trent Perry in backcourt before fouling him.

Perry approached the free-throw line after missing three attempts earlier. His first shot danced around the rim before finally dropping in, while the second one was a clean swish.

Even after Temas Foulkes’ driving layup cut the deficit back to three, the Bruins had to return to the line.

A shaky Clark missed his first free throw but sank the second, effectively clinching the win with just 2.3 seconds left. Remarkably, the team won despite uncharacteristic free-throw struggles—typically a strong suit for them, averaging 86.3% in that area.

“Strange things can happen in March, like Trent missing three free throws,” Cronin said of the sophomore guard, who still managed to make 7 out of 10 attempts. “But I trust him with the ball.”

UCLA also benefited from bringing the ball to its star point guard, Donovan Dent, who made a strong return after suffering a calf injury in the Big Ten Tournament. He recorded six steals, 10 points, five assists, and, notably, zero turnovers.

“I felt great,” Dent shared. “Being on the court during March Madness is always exciting.”

Dent wasn’t alone in his efforts; Eric Daley Jr. had a standout performance with 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals. Booker, filling in for Bilodeau, contributed significantly with 15 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks.

Bilodeau had initially been hopeful about playing but unexpectedly missed the last one and a half games of the Big Ten Tournament due to a slow recovery. Coach Cronin had to make the tough call to keep him off the court after noticing he was still stiff during warm-ups.

“He wanted to play, but I had to say ‘No,'” Cronin explained. “It’s important to look out for the team.”

UCLA started the match strong, securing nine steals in the first half, which included five from Dent. On one highlight play, he lobbed the ball to Daley for a dunk, extending the Bruins’ lead to 13 points.

Most things seemed to bounce in UCLA’s favor as they went into halftime with a 35-27 lead.

Guard Jamar Brown, who had been struggling with his shooting, finally hit a key three-pointer, while center Stephen Jamerson II surprised everyone with a timely jump shot. Even a mishap by UCF led to an unexpected two points for UCLA when player John Bol accidentally dropped the ball into UCLA’s basket.

The most impressive part was how the Bruins rebounded from a shaky start where they missed their first six shots, then fired back to make their next eight—all without Bilodeau’s contribution.

As for Coach Cronin, he was in high spirits, inspired by the team’s recent success, including winning six of their last eight games. The night before, he was excitedly talking about enjoying the local cheesesteak, eager to try something new.

“When in Philadelphia, skipping cheesesteaks would be un-American,” he joked.

With an additional goal of spending time with his daughter, a freshman at American University, if the team advances, the weekend’s stakes are high. The Bruins have shown they’re a team that refuses to back down, ready to withstand any challenge that comes their way.