UCLA Bruins Grind Out March Madness Win

0:00On March 21st, the 7th-seated UCLA Bruins kicked off March Madness with a tight 75-71 win over the 10th-seated UCF Knights on Friday. Without their top score, Tyler Biladot sighed mine by a knee-spray, the Bruins leaned on team efforts to advance. Donovan Den led the charge despite a rough shooting night, going 4 for 17, but grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing 5 assists and snagging. 6 steals for 10 points total. Meanwhile, secondary options like Eric Daily Jr and Xavier Booker combined for 35 points, with Trent Perry adding 15 more. UCF hung tough, keeping the game close with several scoring bursts during UCLA's dry spells, especially late in the second half when the Bruins. Struggled for a final stop. Fans held their breath as the Knights nearly forced overtime. UCLA's defense shown holding UCF to 38% shooting and forcing 17 turnovers. But rebounding remains a worry. They got outboard at 53-41 and gave up 25 offensive boards to UCF.

1:05Still, McCrone and Squad grinded out the victory, proving depth can carry them deeper into the tournament if they shore up those boards.