UCLA Beats UCF in Thrilling First-Round Game

0:00On March 21st, seven-seated UCLA, B-10th-seated UCF 75-71, and a tight first round NCAA men's tournament game on March 20th in Philadelphia. Eric Daily Jr. paced the Bruins with 20 points while four UCLA players hit double figures, forcing 17 turnovers to pull out the win. The Knights finished their season at 21-12. UCF jumped out fast, but committed 11 turnovers in the first half alone, letting UCLA go on an 11-nothing run. The Knights bounced back with 12 three-pointers overall and 25 offensive rebounds, but missed 11 of 16 free throws, hurting there. Chances, big time. Jordan Birx led UCF with 22 points, and Riley Kuble added 13 in his last game for his hometown team. sophomore center John Bull win 0-5 from the line after a head injury sideline him briefly. Fans saw a gritty effort from the Knights in their first March madness trip since 2019. In the second half, UCF switched to a full court press for a mini comeback, cutting the

1:03lead to three, but UCLA responded with 12 of the next. 13 points to seal it. Bruins coach Micronan improved to five and two lifetime against UCF's Johnny Dawkins from their old conference days. UCLA advances to face the winner of UConn and Furman, carrying momentum despite missing leading score Tyler Bilado with a knee sprain.