UCLA Eliminated from NCAA Tournament in Loss to UConn

Bruins fail to advance past opening weekend for second straight year

Mar. 23, 2026 at 3:29am

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The UCLA men's basketball team was eliminated from the NCAA tournament after a 73-57 loss to Connecticut in the second round on Sunday. The Bruins struggled with turnovers and missed shots in the first half, allowing UConn to take a 38-33 lead at halftime. UCLA briefly regained the lead early in the second half, but UConn responded with a 14-0 run to pull away. The Bruins were without leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau due to injury, and their top remaining scorers Donovan Dent and Trent Perry combined to shoot just 4-of-17 from the field. UConn forward Alex Karaban had a career-high 27 points to lead the Huskies.

Why it matters

This early tournament exit is a disappointment for UCLA, which was hoping to make a deeper run in the NCAA tournament after failing to advance past the opening weekend last year as well. The loss raises questions about the Bruins' ability to compete at the highest level without their top scorer, and whether they need to make roster changes or adjustments to their game plan to avoid similar early tournament exits in the future.

The details

UCLA got off to a quick start and held a 6-point lead midway through the first half, but UConn closed the half on an 8-3 run to take a 38-33 lead into the break. The Bruins briefly regained the lead early in the second half, but UConn responded with a 14-0 run to pull away. UCLA went scoreless for over 5 minutes during that decisive Huskies run. Karaban's career-high 27 points, including 16 in the second half, proved too much for the Bruins to overcome.

  • The game was played on Sunday, March 23, 2026 in Philadelphia.
  • UConn took a 38-33 lead into halftime.

The players

Tyler Bilodeau

UCLA's leading scorer who missed the NCAA tournament with a right knee injury.

Eric Dailey Jr.

UCLA wing who scored 12 points, including a 3-pointer and a 3-point play, to help trim UConn's lead late in the second half.

Donovan Dent

UCLA guard who struggled, shooting just 4-of-17 from the field and scoring 11 points.

Trent Perry

UCLA guard who also struggled, combining with Dent to shoot 4-of-17 from the field.

Alex Karaban

UConn forward who scored a career-high 27 points, including 16 in the second half, to lead the Huskies.

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What’s next

The Bruins will need to regroup and make adjustments in the offseason to avoid similar early tournament exits in the future.

The takeaway

UCLA's inability to overcome the loss of its leading scorer and struggles from its top remaining scorers proved too much to overcome against a talented UConn team, leading to another early exit from the NCAA tournament for the Bruins.