The UCLA men’s basketball team lost to Indiana 98-97 in double overtime at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, with an attendance of 10,086. The Bruins (15-7, 7-4 Big Ten) erased a 10-point deficit in the final two minutes of regulation. Sophomore Trent Perry tied the game at 76-76 with a contested three-pointer and just over one second left.
In the second overtime, junior Eric Dailey Jr. scored a tying basket with 12 seconds remaining. On Indiana’s next possession, forward Trent Sisley missed a layup, but after review officials determined UCLA last touched the ball before it went out of bounds. With less than a second left, Sisley was fouled by Donovan Dent and made one of two free throws to secure Indiana’s win.
“We went through a stretch where we couldn’t make a shot,” said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach. “Sometimes a lid gets on the basket, guys feel pressure and missed shots can be contagious. And that’s what happened to us. You got good players, and then you just got to keep on playing. One will go in – just got to, at the end of the game, you’ve got to play it out. The only thing we did well tonight, in my opinion, was play out the last two minutes. Clock, score, and that’s when they actually listen to me on how to press. They didn’t listen to our scouting report for the game. I can tell you that, and that’s why you lose.”
Perry led UCLA with 25 points on 6-of-16 shooting and made all ten free throw attempts while adding seven rebounds. Dent had 24 points and 11 assists for his fourth double-double this season; Bilodeau also recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
For Indiana, Nick Dorn scored 26 points with seven rebounds; Lamar Wilkerson and Jasai Miles each added 24 points. Tucker DeVries contributed nine points along with seven assists and ten rebounds.
UCLA trailed by five late in regulation but closed the gap as Dent completed a three-point play after rebounding his own missed free throw and scoring while drawing contact. Strong defense forced Indiana into consecutive timeouts during inbound plays.
After cutting Indiana’s lead to two following Dailey’s steal and layup with under forty seconds left, both teams traded free throws before Perry hit his tying shot.
The Bruins led at halftime by six after closing the first half on a strong run highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from Brandon Williams and Perry.
UCLA is scheduled to host Rutgers at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m., with coverage provided by Big Ten Network featuring Guy Haberman and Don MacLean.
