Michigan State Loses to UCLA in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals

Spartans coach Tom Izzo 'really disappointed' in his team's performance

Mar. 14, 2026 at 4:05pm

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No. 8 Michigan State, the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, suffered an 88-84 loss to UCLA in the quarterfinal round on Friday night. Spartans head coach Tom Izzo expressed disappointment in how his team played, saying UCLA "came at us" and "punched us in the mouth" while Michigan State "didn't respond." The Bruins led by as many as 15 points in the second half before Michigan State made a late comeback attempt.

Why it matters

This loss is a setback for Michigan State, which was projected to be a No. 2 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Spartans had previously defeated UCLA by 23 points in East Lansing, but were unable to replicate that success in the tournament rematch. Izzo's comments suggest the team may need to address some issues before the NCAA Tournament.

The details

UCLA led by 11 points at halftime and by as many as 15 points in the second half. Michigan State cut the deficit to two points with 43 seconds remaining, but Trent Perry's free throws helped the Bruins seal the victory. UCLA was led by Donovan Dent's 23 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and four steals, while Trent Perry added 22 points. For Michigan State, Jeremy Fears Jr. had 21 points and 13 assists.

  • The game was played on Friday, March 14, 2026.

The players

Tom Izzo

The head coach of the Michigan State Spartans basketball team.

Mick Cronin

The head coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team.

Donovan Dent

The leading scorer for UCLA with 23 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and four steals.

Trent Perry

The second-leading scorer for UCLA with 22 points, including six free throws in the final 40 seconds to seal the victory.

Jeremy Fears Jr.

The leading scorer for Michigan State with 21 points and 13 assists.

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What they’re saying

“I was really disappointed in how we played. I give a lot of credit to UCLA, though. We beat them by 23 [points] at our place, and [UCLA head coach] Mick [Cronin], like he should do, got his team ready, and they played harder, tougher, and that doesn't happen to my team very often, but for some reason, we did not answer the bell coming out.”

— Tom Izzo, Head Coach, Michigan State Spartans

What’s next

The loss drops Michigan State to 25-7 overall and 15-5 in Big Ten play. The Spartans will now await their seeding and matchup for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, where they were previously projected to be a No. 2 seed in the West Region.

The takeaway

This game highlights the unpredictable nature of college basketball, where a team can dominate an opponent one game and then struggle against them in a rematch. Michigan State will need to regroup and address the issues that led to this disappointing loss before the NCAA Tournament, where they will look to make a deep run.