Down 23 points and reeling all week, UCLA finds an OT escape against No. 10 Illinois

LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA was having a very bad week, staggering to blowout losses on the road, where coach Mick Cronin angrily — and he later admitted wrongly — ejected one of his own players at Michigan State.

Things didn’t figure to get much better with No. 10 Illinois visiting Pauley Pavilion.

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And they didn’t in the first half. Winners of 14 of 16, the Illini built a 23-point lead while shooting 54% from the floor and 53% from 3-point range.

“I was worried before the game,” Cronin said. “I didn’t like the look on their face before the game. It was almost like they had lost confidence. And we played like that early, until we forgot about it.”

The Bruins roared back, with Donovan Dent hitting the winning layup with 1 second left in overtime for a 95-94 victory. Fans stormed the court to celebrate UCLA’s second top-10 upset at home. The Bruins beat then-No. 4 Purdue 69-67 on Jan. 20.

“Even when we went down big, we were still connected as a team in the huddles,” Dent said. “We just kept saying keep fighting.”

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UCLA’s defense clamped down, holding the nation’s top offensive team to 22% shooting in overtime and 0 of 5 from 3-point range.

“I hope it helps our confidence,” Cronin said. “You would hope it sends a message to them that if you’re bought in defensively we got a great chance to win.”

Dent dribbled downcourt and got to the rim in 4.9 seconds, splitting two Illini players near the free throw line and making a move past one last defender for an up-and-under basket.

“I wasn’t making layups to save my life,” he said. “I missed like five in a row, so for me to get down there it was amazing.”

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Dent had 14 points, 15 assists and no turnovers in 42 minutes.

“That’s what he’s here for,” teammate Eric Dailey Jr. said.

The Bruins (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) were coming off consecutive 20-plus point defeats for the first time since the 1944-45 season.

“We got to flush ’em,” Dent said.

Making it worse was…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/down-23-points-reeling-week-052254183.html

Author : BETH HARRIS

Publish date : 2026-02-22 05:22:00

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