UCLA Suffers Blowout Loss to No. 2 Michigan

Bruins' quest for second top-five win falls short in 30-point defeat

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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The UCLA men's basketball team's quest for a second top-five win this season fell short on Saturday, as they suffered a 30-point loss to the No. 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines. Head coach Mick Cronin was critical of his team's poor shot selection and lack of execution, as the Bruins shot just 38% from the field and turned the ball over 13 times.

Why it matters

This loss is a setback for UCLA, who was hoping to build momentum with a win over a top-ranked opponent. The Bruins' inability to execute their game plan and play tough defense allowed Michigan to pull away in the second half, highlighting areas the team needs to improve on to compete with the nation's elite teams.

The details

UCLA trailed by just two points at halftime, but the Wolverines outscored the Bruins 46-18 in the second half to cruise to the victory. Michigan shot an impressive 62% from the field overall and scored 42 points in the paint. Cronin was particularly frustrated with his team's poor shot selection, saying they missed "eight unguarded threes" and failed to "continue to defend or [be] good enough defensively to stop them".

  • The game took place on Saturday, February 14, 2026 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The players

Mick Cronin

The head coach of the UCLA men's basketball team.

Tyler Bilodeau

A forward for the UCLA Bruins.

Will Tschetter

A forward for the Michigan Wolverines.

L.J. Cason

A guard for the Michigan Wolverines.

Morez Johnson Jr.

A forward for the Michigan Wolverines.

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What they’re saying

“I'm searching and begging for guys who will play for the team and not for stats. I thought we took some horrendous, horrendous shots today, and the whole game plan was, 'Do not take a bad shot, but do not turn the ball over.'”

— Mick Cronin, Head Coach, UCLA Bruins (newspub.live)

“We were awful in the second half. We were God awful. We missed eight unguarded threes. UNGUARDED. If you're going to come in here and win, you've got to score.”

— Mick Cronin, Head Coach, UCLA Bruins (newspub.live)

“It's the worst second-half defensive shooting percentage of my career. Twenty-three years. They shot 78-percent, worst of my career, and I don't need to look it up. And it's not like I forgot how to coach defense now. They're really good, but I would be really good, too, if I was shooting layups.”

— Mick Cronin, Head Coach, UCLA Bruins (newspub.live)

What’s next

The Bruins will look to bounce back from this loss when they return home to face the No. 15 USC Trojans on February 21st.

The takeaway

This blowout defeat highlights the work UCLA still needs to do to compete with the nation's elite teams. Improving shot selection, limiting turnovers, and playing tougher defense will be key focus areas for the Bruins as they aim to make a deep postseason run.