UCLA grinds out win against Michigan State despite Bilodeau’s injury

In mid-February, UCLA hit one of its worst lows this season.

It had lost by 23 points to a fierce Michigan State team in a game that coach Mick Cronin had ejected his own player before lashing out at a reporter for “raising” his voice.

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Just a month later, the Bruins (23-10, 13-7 Big Ten) rolled as they grinded their way to an 88-84 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal victory over the Spartans (25-7, 15-5 Big Ten).

But this occasion presented its own challenge as forward Tyler Bilodeau exited in the first half with a knee sprain that Cronin said would take a “miracle” to return from in the next game.

UCLA got it done anyway, and the team is trending in a completely different direction, having won six of its last seven games

“The guys didn’t flinch,” Cronin said. “I was proud of them for that.”

Guard Trent Perry knocked down all four of his final-minute free throws, while the Spartans fouled and flopped, trying to extend the game the Bruins had put just out of their reach. He finished with 22 points.

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Guard Donovan Dent, who recorded the first triple-double in Big Ten Tournament history Thursday against Rutgers, wasn’t far from doing it again, with a team-leading 23 points, 12 assists, plus six rebounds. He has just six turnovers to his 77 assists in the past seven games.

Forward Eric Dailey Jr. had a double-double with 14 points and seven rebounds, but perhaps more important were his team-leading 12 deflections, per Dent, and two blocks.

“He was great,” Dent said of Dailey. “He actually beat me by one in our deflection thing; I’m kind of mad about that. He barely got it, but we’ll ignore that.”

Daiely scratched Dent’s head as they complemented each other side-by-side while being the last couple of players remaining in the locker room postgame until the very moment Cronin popped in to tell them they’d answered enough questions.

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It was time to go. The Bruins had a game to play the next day against No. 7-seeded Purdue in…

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Publish date : 2026-03-14 05:03:00

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