UCLA Basketball: Bruins Lose Heartbreaker to Oregon, Eliminated From Pac-12 Tournament

The Bruins lose a close one.

UCLA basketball lost a heart-thumper 68-66 to Oregon in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. Now, Oregon will advance to face Arizona in the semifinals. 

The Bruins had a chance to tie or get the win when they got the ball with 4.4 seconds remaining in the game. While Dylan Andrews was able to successfully drive up the court, he was unable to seal what would have been either the game-winning or game-tying shot in the final seconds.

FINAL: Oregon 68, UCLA 66#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/ZBkizbuEeP

— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) March 14, 2024

UCLA initially put in a strong first half, taking a 34-29 lead as they looked to be on their way to a win. In the first half, freshman Sebastian Mack rebounded from a scoreless game the day before against Oregon State with 14 points in the first half. Overall, UCLA shot 48% compared to Oregon, who struggled and shot just 37% in the first half.

However, the Ducks took control in the second half. Oregon took the lead from UCLA in the second half, leading at one point by double digits. While the Bruins would make a final push toward the end of the game and even tie the game again, they fell short of holding on and lost by just two points.

In the end, Dylan Andrews led both teams in scoring with 24 points. It was a strong end to the season for Andrews, who recorded a career-high 31 points the day before. However, outside of the efforts of Andrews and Mack, UCLA was limited. 

In particular, Bona only played four minutes in the first half due to fouls which head coach Mick Cronin was not a fan of. Cronin called the way Bona was treated "completely ridiculous." Bona finished with eight points, four rebounds and one assist.

Now, the Bruins' season comes to an end, as winning the Pac-12 Tournament was their lone chance to make March Madness.