UCLA basketball suffers another blowout loss against Michigan State

Bruins fall behind by 24 points in the first half, lose 82-59 to No. 15 Michigan State

Feb. 20, 2026 at 5:47pm

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UCLA suffered another lopsided defeat, falling behind by 24 points in the first half on the way to an 82-59 loss to No. 15 Michigan State. The Bruins were outmatched on both ends of the floor, struggling to generate offense while allowing the Spartans to shoot 57.7% in the first half, including 8-of-14 from 3-point range. This comes just three days after a 30-point loss to Michigan, further unraveling UCLA's season.

Why it matters

This blowout loss is a major setback for UCLA, a team on the NCAA tournament bubble. The Bruins have now suffered two consecutive lopsided defeats against top opponents, raising serious questions about their ability to compete with elite teams and putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy.

The details

UCLA fell behind early and never recovered, going scoreless for nearly eight minutes as Michigan State built a 24-point lead in the first half. The Bruins were equally poor on offense and defense, scoring just 41 points by halftime. A low point came when UCLA inbounded the ball with 1.1 seconds left on the shot clock and didn't even attempt a shot. Besides forward Tyler Bilodeau's 22 points, UCLA's starters combined for just 20 points. To make matters worse, guard Clark went down with an injury to his left leg late in the game.

  • The game took place on Tuesday, February 18, 2026.
  • UCLA suffered a 30-point loss to Michigan just three days prior, on February 15, 2026.

The players

Mick Cronin

The head coach of the UCLA basketball team.

Tyler Bilodeau

A UCLA forward who scored a team-high 22 points in the loss.

Donovan Dent

A UCLA starter who combined with three other starters to score just 20 points.

Xavier Booker

A UCLA player who had spent his first two seasons at Michigan State before transferring, and was booed during player introductions in his return to East Lansing.

Steven Jamerson II

A UCLA backup center who was denied in his attempts to walk on with Michigan State and become a student manager.

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What they’re saying

“Besides forward Tyler Bilodeau, who scored 22 points on an efficient eight-for-16 shooting, the Bruins didn't generate nearly enough offense from their starters.”

— Ben Bolch, Author

“As if things couldn't get any worse, Clark went down with about five minutes left, holding his left leg before limping off the court. He had missed more than a month with a hamstring injury in the same leg.”

— Ben Bolch, Author

What’s next

The Bruins will look to bounce back when they host No. 10 Illinois on Saturday, February 22, 2026.

The takeaway

This blowout loss, coming on the heels of another lopsided defeat, raises serious concerns about UCLA's ability to compete with top teams and puts their NCAA tournament hopes in jeopardy. The Bruins will need to quickly regroup and find answers on both ends of the floor if they want to salvage their season.