(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA was having a very bad week, staggering to blowout losses on the road, where coach Mick Cronin angrily — and he later admitted wrongly — ejected one of his own players at Michigan State. Winners of 14 of 16, the Illini built a 23-point lead while shooting 54% from the floor and 53% from 3-point range. “I was worried before the game,” Cronin said. “Even when we went down big, we were still connected as a team in the huddles,” Dent said. The Bruins (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) were coming off consecutive 20-plus point defeats for the first time since the 1944-45 season.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 22, 2026 05:37 UTC