UConn Advances to Sweet 16 With 73-57 Win Over UCLA
UConn vs UCLA NCAA Tournament score 2026
The University of Connecticut’s quest for a historic third consecutive national championship remained on track Sunday night as the No. 2 seed Huskies defeated No. 7 seed UCLA, 73-57, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Playing at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, senior forward Alex Karaban delivered a career-defining performance, exploding for 27 points to lead all scorers and steady the Huskies through several momentum shifts.
Despite a sluggish start from the perimeter, UConn utilized a dominant 9-0 second-half run to pull away from a resilient Bruins squad that had narrowed the deficit to just four points with eight minutes remaining. According to official game reports, the victory improves UConn’s record to 31-5 and secures their spot in the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year under head coach Dan Hurley.
UCLA, finishing their first season in the Big Ten with a 24-12 record, struggled to find offensive consistency without leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau, who remained sidelined with a knee injury. The Bruins shot just 33.3% from the field in the second half, failing to capitalize on an early 6-0 run that briefly gave them the lead coming out of the intermission. Xavier Booker led the Bruins with 13 points, while Eric Dailey Jr. added 12, but the team had no answer for Karaban’s efficiency and veteran poise.
The Los Angeles Times noted that a technical foul called on UCLA head coach Mick Cronin during UConn’s decisive late-game surge further hampered the Bruins’ comeback efforts. Braylon Mullins provided additional offensive spark for the Huskies with 17 points, including two critical three-pointers that helped UConn take a 38-33 lead into the halftime break.
The Huskies’ defensive identity was also on full display as they successfully neutralized UCLA’s backcourt in the closing minutes, forcing high-contested shots and dominating the glass with a 10-rebound effort from Tarris Reed Jr. While Reed did not replicate his historic 31-point, 27-rebound performance from the opening round, his presence in the paint ensured that UCLA could not find easy looks near the rim.
UConn Athletics confirmed that the Huskies will now travel to Washington, D.C., to face No. 3 seed Michigan State in the East Regional semifinals on Friday, March 27. As the field narrows, the Huskies remain the favorites in their region, looking to become the first program since the 1960s to win three straight titles in an era defined by parity and high-stakes transfer portal movement.
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