The UCLA Bruins seemed like they had a fighting chance to take down No. 2 seed UConn in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, but the Huskies pulled away in the second half of a fierce battle.
UConn achieved a 73-57 win behind four-year player Alex Karaban’s career-high 27 points to advance to the Sweet 16 round of the Big Dance. On the opposing side, Mick Cronin saw a disappointing shooting night from his star guard, Donovan Dent, and the highest points total of any Bruins player was 13.
Both teams hoisted 49 shots in the game, with UConn able to hit four more of theirs. The Huskies also connected on eight of the 24 three-pointers they attempted, with four from Karaban, and two apiece from freshman Braylon Mullins and reserve Jayden Ross.
While Taris Reed Jr. didn’t go off quite like he did in his team’s opening-round win over Furman, he recorded a double-double of 10 points with 13 rebounds. UConn also showed efficiency at the free-throw line, going 19-for-21, compared to UCLA hitting just 14-of-21 attempts at the stripe.
Following the game, coach Mick Cronin and his players, Xavier Booker and Eric Dailey Jr., attended a press conference to address what went wrong in the loss and the emotions they were feeling after their elimination from March Madness.
“Congrats to UConn, they were better than us tonight,” Cronin said in his opening statement, adding, “Our guys gave the effort, we couldn’t score the ball. Can’t score, can’t win.”
“They get to play next week, and we get to go home,” he said about the disappointing outcome.
UCLA played without its leading scorer for a second-straight game, as Tyler Bilodeau was questionable until game time, when it was revealed he wasn’t dressed for the game and would remain out.
“My message to our team is: No excuses. Someone mentioned Tyler- somebody else brought up our guy. We didn’t bring it up. It’s five-on-five,” Cronin said, adding, “Bottom line is it was five-on-five, and they played harder than us.”
“Their defense was better than our offense, and I take responsibility for that,” he said regarding his coaching job.
UConn was able to defend Dent well, holding him to just 11 points on 2-of-8 field goal attempts. Overall, they held UCLA to 39 percent shooting, outrebounded them 36-24, and wore the Bruins down in a gritty second-half performance behind Karaban and contributions from Braylon Mullins and Ross.
The Huskies also saw the return of their point guard, Silas Demary Jr., coming off the bench after he sat out their first-round game against Furman. Next up, they’ll take on Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet 16, while Cronin and his staff will look to build for next season.