UCLA overcomes broken tooth and stubborn UCF 75-71 to advance in the NCAA Tournament
The Bruins (24-11) play the winner of the game between No. 2 seed UConn and Furman on Sunday. Jordan Burks scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers — including one that made it 72-69 with 10 seconds left — to almost single-handedly carry UCF (21-12) into the second round.
Under comical and combustible coach Mick Cronin, the Bruins are back in the second round — with one player minus a tooth — for the second straight tournament after missing out in 2024.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Eric Dailey Jr . scored 20 points, Xaiver Booker had 15 points and eight rebounds to make up for the absence of leading scorer Tyler Biloudeau and seventh-seeded UCLA withstood every serious challenge and beat 10th-seeded UCF 75-71 Friday night in the NCAA Tournamen t. The Bruins (24-11) play the winner of the game between No.
2 seed UConn and Furman on Sunday. Jordan Burks scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers — including one that made it 72-69 with 10 seconds left — to almost single-handedly carry UCF (21-12) into the second round. Under comical and combustible coach Mick Cronin , the Bruins are back in the second round — with one player minus a tooth — for the second straight tournament after missing out in 2024.
Cronin preached for his team to hit the reset button after losing in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and skipping the NCAA selection show. With every alley-oop dunk the Bruins looked rested and sent the UCLA fans into a frenzy. For every run the Knights went on — most notably in the second half when Burks hit consecutive 3s that pulled them within three points and sent “UCF!