UCLA Falls in Double OT Thriller to Indiana, as Missed Opportunities and Officiating Woes Define the Night
There’s no shortage of angles to unpack after UCLA’s double-overtime heartbreaker against Indiana - a game that had everything from late-game heroics to controversial officiating, and more than a few head-scratching sequences in between.
Let’s start with the second half collapse. After a composed and efficient first 20 minutes, UCLA simply couldn’t buy a bucket coming out of the break.
The Bruins generated quality looks - the kind you draw up in practice and expect to convert - but the shots just wouldn’t fall. At one point, they missed 11 straight from the field, a cold spell that opened the door for Indiana to build a 10-point cushion with under two minutes to play.
And then, just when it looked like the game was slipping away for good, UCLA found life.
The Bruins cranked up the defensive pressure, forcing multiple Indiana turnovers in the backcourt and slicing the lead to four with under a minute left. Then came the pivotal moment: Indiana’s Reed Bailey, who hadn’t missed a free throw all night, clanked the front end with eight seconds to go.
UCLA raced up the floor and Trent Perry delivered - drilling a game-tying three with two seconds left. Indiana elected not to foul up three, and it came back to haunt them in the worst way.
For Bruins fans, it was a rare reversal of fortune in a situation that’s burned them before.
But as the game stretched into overtime, fatigue set in - and so did Lamar Wilkerson.
Wilkerson was electric in the first OT, torching UCLA’s defense with 10 points in the period and repeatedly beating Perry off the bounce. The Bruins still had a shot to steal it, but Perry’s floater at the buzzer came up short.
The second overtime? That turned into a grind-it-out slugfest.
Fouls piled up, whistles dominated the flow, and both teams lived at the free-throw line. In fact, 26 free throws were taken in the two OT periods alone - more than a third of the game’s total.
It was a disjointed finish, one that left players, coaches, and fans visibly frustrated.
And then came the ending.
With under 10 seconds left, Indiana drove into the lane and missed a contested layup. The ball deflected out of bounds, and officials initially ruled it would stay with Indiana.
But replays clearly showed it last touched Indiana’s Trent Sisley. Still, the call stood.
On the ensuing inbounds play, Donovan Dent was beaten on a cut and fouled Sisley with 0.3 seconds left. Sisley hit the free throw, and that was the ballgame.
The officiating, particularly in crunch time, is going to be a talking point - and understandably so. The missed out-of-bounds call in the final seconds was a gut punch for UCLA, especially after clawing all the way back. And while you never want to pin a loss solely on officiating, it’s hard to ignore how much it impacted the flow and final outcome of this one.
Still, the Bruins have to look in the mirror. This was a game they had no business being in after the way they played coming out of halftime. The offense sputtered, the execution faltered, and the energy - particularly on the defensive end - dipped.
Donovan Dent’s stat line tells one story - 24 points and 11 assists - but the efficiency wasn’t there. He shot just 8-for-23 from the field, missing several makeable looks and struggling to find rhythm in key moments. For a player with high expectations - and a significant NIL valuation - it was a performance that fell short when it mattered most.
Eric Dailey had flashes, finishing with 15 points, but only grabbed six rebounds and struggled to impose himself physically. Xavier Booker regressed defensively, and Steven Jamerson’s early foul trouble left the Bruins scrambling for frontcourt stability. Jamar Brown couldn’t find his shooting touch either, going just 1-for-6 from the field.
The bright spot? That would be Trent Perry.
Perry poured in a team-high 25 points and continues to look increasingly confident with Skyy Clark sidelined. He’s embraced a larger role, shown poise in big moments, and delivered one of the night’s signature plays with his game-tying three.
His defense still needs work - Wilkerson exposed him repeatedly in OT - but that’s an area that can be developed with time. What’s clear is that Perry has the tools to be a foundational piece going forward.
Tyler Bilodeau also gave the Bruins some solid minutes before foul trouble - including two questionable offensive calls - took him out of the equation in overtime.
So where does this leave UCLA?
This loss stings, not just because of the way it ended, but because it was a game that could’ve helped solidify their tournament résumé. Instead, it adds to a growing list of “what-ifs” in a season full of inconsistency. The Bruins have shown they can hang with elite teams - they’ve gone toe-to-toe with Arizona, Gonzaga, and Purdue - but they’ve also struggled to sustain focus and effort over 40 minutes.
The absence of Skyy Clark will continue to loom large, but the bigger issue might be the team’s inability to string together complete performances. That’s something Mick Cronin and his staff will have to figure out quickly if they want to salvage what’s left of the season.
There’s still time, but the margin for error is shrinking fast. And after a night like this - one that had all the makings of a statement win - the Bruins are left with more questions than answers.