Chicago, IL — The UCLA Bruins advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday night, holding off the Michigan State Spartans for an 88–84 victory despite losing leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau to a knee injury.
Donovan Dent led the Bruins with 23 points and 12 assists, while Trent Perry added 22 points in a strong offensive showing. UCLA built a 15-point lead early in the second half and managed to withstand multiple late rallies from Michigan State to secure the win.
Bilodeau’s injury cast a shadow over the game. The forward went down late in the first half after his right knee buckled while defending Carson Cooper in the post. The noncontact injury occurred with 3:33 remaining in the half and UCLA leading 35–23. Bilodeau had to be helped off the court and spent the remainder of the game on the bench with his knee wrapped.
In his limited action, the Bruins’ leading scorer and rebounder finished with five points on two-for-two shooting in 10 minutes.
Michigan State made several pushes late in the game. With UCLA holding a slim 82–80 advantage, Brandon Williams converted a fast-break layup to extend the Bruins’ lead to four with 25 seconds remaining.
The Spartans responded quickly. Cooper scored inside with 12 seconds left, but Perry answered with two free throws on the ensuing possession. Jeremy Fears Jr. then drove for a layup to pull Michigan State within two points with six seconds remaining before Perry sealed the outcome with another pair of free throws.
Fears delivered a standout performance for Michigan State (25–7), finishing with 21 points and 13 assists. Cooper and Kur Teng each added 13 points.
With the victory, UCLA moves on to face the Purdue Boilermakers in the semifinal round. The Bruins previously defeated Purdue 69–67 in January at Pauley Pavilion, when Bilodeau knocked down a go-ahead three-pointer in the final seconds.
