UCLA Basketball Fights Despite Injuries, Eyes NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 14th, UCLA's 6th-seated men's basketball team fell to 7-seated-produced 73-66 in the big 10 tournaments in my final, on Saturday. The Bruins were already missing their leading score or Tyler Bilado due to a knee-spray, and they lost guard Donovan Dent midway through the first, half with a calf strain. Purdue jumped out early and built double-digit leads in the second half, but UCLA rallied to tie the score with just over three minutes left. The boiler-makers pulled away with an 11-4 run to close it out, thanks to better rebounding and second chance points. Coach McCronon praised his team's fight, especially from reserves who logged key minutes and bench players who scored in double figures. Four Bruins reached double-digits in points, led by Trent Perry's 15 points and nine assists. Both injured stars are expected back for the NCAA tournament, where UCLA enters as a projected seventh seed with a 23-11 record. Cronin focused on the bigger picture, noting the value of this gritty performance.

1:02The Bruins head into March Manus believing in their depth and newfound toughness, ready to compete no matter the matchup.