University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
15-7,7-4Big Ten
Indiana
15-7,6-5Big Ten
Men’s Basketball Drops 2OT Thriller to Indiana, 98-97
January 31, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men's basketball team fell to Indiana, 98-97, in double overtime in front of a crowd of 10,086 fans at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial on Saturday afternoon.
To reach overtime, the Bruins (15-7, 7-4 Big Ten) mounted a 10-point comeback with 1:50 remaining in the second half, capped by a remarkable game-tying 3-pointer by sophomore Trent Perry. Perry's shot came with two defenders in his face and evened the score, 76-76, with 1.1 seconds to play in regulation.
In the second overtime period, junior Eric Dailey Jr. equaled the score, 97-97, with 12 seconds to play on a jump shot in the paint.
Hoosiers' forward Trent Sisley missed a go-ahead layup in the final seconds on the ensuing possession. However, after an unsuccessful challenge, officials ruled that UCLA had tipped the ball before it went out of bounds, allowing Indiana with one final opportunity to take the lead and snap the 97-97 tie. Sisley was fouled going up for a layup, by Donovan Dent, with 0.3 seconds left after an in-bounds play under the Hoosiers' offensive basket. Sisley hit the first of the two free throw attempts to help Indiana secure a 98-97 win.
"We went through a stretch where we couldn't make a shot," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "Sometimes a lid gets on the basket, guys feel pressure and missed shots can be contagious. And that's what happened to us. You got good players, and then you just got to keep on playing. One will go in – just got to, at the end of the game, you've got to play it out. The only thing we did well tonight, in my opinion, was play out the last two minutes. Clock, score, and that's when they actually listen to me on how to press. They didn't listen to our scouting report for the game. I can tell you that, and that's why you lose."
Perry finished with a team-high 25 points on 6-of-16 shooting and made all 10 of his free throw attempts. He added seven rebounds, one steal and one block. Dent totaled 24 points and 11 assists for his fourth double-double of the season. Bilodeau also notched a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Three Indiana players finished Saturday's game with at least 20 points, led by Nick Dorn's 26-point and seven-rebound effort. Lamar Wilkerson and Jasai Miles each scored 24 points. Tucker DeVries had nine points, seven assists and a team-leading 10 rebounds for Indiana.
UCLA was tasked with playing perfect inbound defense in order to force the extra period. Trailing 71-66 near the end of regulation, Dent rebounded his own free throw miss and made a putback layup while drawing a foul. After completing the old-fashioned three-point-play, the Bruins' defense forced Indiana to call back-to-back timeouts thanks to staunch defense on the inbounds play.
Still trailing Indiana, 73-69, Dailey swiped a steal with 36 seconds left and drove to the bucket for a layup. That cut down Indiana's margin to 73-71 After the two teams exchanged a pair of free throws, Reed missed the first of two free throws, keeping it a one-score game at 76-73, and setting up for Perry's final second heroics.
UCLA went into halftime with a 36-30 cushion thanks to a 15-5 Bruins' scoring run in the final five minutes. Back-to-back 3-pointers – one from Brandon Williams and another from Perry – gave UCLA a 30-25 lead. Perry was responsible for seven points during the run, knocking down four free throws.
Prior to UCLA's comeback, Indiana gained its largest lead of the half at 22-16 advantage with 6:16 remaining. Hoosier guard Lamar Wilkerson accounted for nine straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, during their 14-2 run.
UCLA will host Rutgers at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday, Feb. 3. Game time is 6:30 p.m. (PT). The contest will be televised by Big Ten Network, with Guy Haberman and Don MacLean on the call.
