Rutgers Basketball's Big Ten Tournament Loss

0:00On March 13, Rutgers Basketball wrapped up their Big 10 Tournament run with a hard-fought loss to UCLA, falling 72-59 in the third round. It marked their first tournament win in three years before this matchup against the much stronger Bruin squad. The Scarlet Knights kept it close early, trailing just six at halftime after a low-scoring finish to the first half. But UCLA pulled away in the second, building a 15-point lead midway through thanks to Rutgers turnovers and shaky offense. Standout play came from UCLA's Donovan Dent, who notched the first triple-double in Big 10 Tournament history with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Tyler Bilado added 21 points for the Bruins, who dominated the board's 40-30. For Rutgers, Leno marked lead with 17 points, and Darren Buchanan Jr. nearly got a double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Terrick France has struggled, managing only six points on 11 shots.

1:01UCLA now heads to face Michigan State in the fourth round, while Rutgers shifts focus to a key off-season, eyeing the transfer portal opening April.