All Bruins

UCLA vs. UNC Sweet 16: Live Updates, Highlights, Analysis

Two of the most historic college basketball powerhouses are facing off in the East Regional Semifinals in Philadelphia.

Sam Connon

UCLA vs. UNC Sweet 16: Live Updates, Highlights, Analysis
UCLA vs. UNC Sweet 16: Live Updates, Highlights, Analysis /

PHILADELPHIA — After a week of waiting, the Bruins and Tar Heels are finally bringing the battle of the blue bloods to the court.

No. 4 seed UCLA men's basketball (27-7, 15-5 Pac-12) is taking on No. 8 seed North Carolina (26-9, 15-5 ACC) Friday night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. The two sides have combined for 17 national titles, one of which the Bruins won over the Tar Heels back in 1968.

This marks the third time UCLA and UNC will play each other in March Madness, and the winner of this showdown will advance to the Elite Eight. For a preview of the game, as well as streaming info, betting odds and key stats, check out our story on how the two sides match up.

All Bruins is keeping track on the biggest moments throughout the night, from highlight reel slam dunks to injuries, major scoring runs and more.

St. Peter's beats Purdue in other East Regional Semifinal

9:25 p.m.: The Bruins were the belle of the ball in 2021, going from the First Four to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed.

This year, the tournament's biggest Cinderella story is waiting for the winner of UCLA-North Carolina in the next round.

No. 15 St. Peter's beat No. 3 Purdue 67-64 in the early game in Philadelphia, notching their third straight upset to open the NCAA tournament. The Peacocks, who were playing on National Peacock Day, have become the highest-seeded team ever to make the Elite Eight.

Tip off for the UCLA-North Carolina should occur at roughly 9:58 p.m. local time, or 6:58 p.m. Pacific time.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. appears healthy in pregame warmups

9:45 p.m.: After being labeled as day-to-day for the past week with a sprained right ankle, it appears the Bruins' guard/forward will be good to go for Friday night.

Jaquez was a full participant in pregame warmups, hitting corner 3-pointers and taking off for multiple dunks. He even took a lob from a team manager before heading back down the tunnel, signifying he bounce off an ankle that is likely less than 100%.

The starting lineups will be announced momentarily, and should mark a final tell on whether Jaquez is available or not.

Marathon opening results in early Bruin lead

10:10 p.m.: It took nine full minutes before there was a dead ball, meaning the two starting lineups got more than their fair share of work in to start.

UCLA went down early, but then got a few shots to fall in a row, including a string up jumpers out of Johnny Juzang. Last year's March Madness hero has a team-high seven points so far, but Jules Bernard has five and Tyger Campbell has four.

UNC has a pair of 3-pointers, but is shooting just 6-of-16 and has three turnovers.

The Bruins are 8-of-14 from the field and lead 18-14 with 11:00 left in the first half.

Tar Heels end big UCLA run, defense settling in

10:19 p.m.: Myles Johnson, Peyton Watson and Jaylen Clark were finally able to check in for Mick Cronin, and the Bruins' defense expectedly started to get even more stops behind their length and athleticism.

Johnson had a block, Watson pulled down some big boards and Clark battled for loose balls. Watson was able to lead a fast break, and after slowing it down, the ball worked its way around to Jules Bernard.

Bernard hit a layup following a pump fake to cap off the 8-0 run and put UCLA up 22-14. North Carolina got a midrange jumper to fall, though, and made it 22-16 before a foul sent the teams into another media timeout.

Manek comes alive, UNC closes gap

10:28 p.m.: A 3-pointer by stretch four Brady Manek helped the Tar Heels start to dig out of the early hole.

Jaquez and Bernard kept North Carolina at bay, though, with Jaquez and Bernard both getting looks to go in the paint. But just as it seemed like UCLA could vault back ahead, Manek slashed to the lane going for a rebound and threw down a putback slam that made it 26-24.

Manek turned the ball over and Tyger Campbell is going to the free throw line as a result, but the big man has played a large part in getting the Tar Heels back into things late in the first half by putting up a quick 10 points.

Size matters not...

10:36 p.m.: 5-foot-10 points guard Tyger Campbell just blocked 6-foot-10 center Armando Bacot in the paint.

Yes, that really happened.

HALFTIME: UCLA 31, UNC 28

10:37 p.m.: Both teams miss shots in the last 10 seconds and the Bruins head into the locker room up by three.

Bernard leads the way with nine points, while Jaquez has eight and Juzang has seven. All three have three rebounds as well.

Campbell has seven points to go along with two assists.

UCLA is shooting 48.1% from the field compared to North Carolina's 35.3% mark, but the Tar Heels have eight offensive boards to the Bruins' one.

Open layups power big Tar Heel run before teams trade jumpers

11:03 p.m.: Cody Riley hit a layup to open up the second half, but North Carolina responded with four straight layups of their own, many of which Riley was unable to rotate on.

That stretch gave the Tar Heels their first lead in roughly 16 minutes of game time, but it turned out to be short-lived.

Bernard knocked down a corner 3-pointer, only for Caleb Love to come back and hit an open look from deep on the other end. Riley, who was still in the game as Johnson waited to check in at the scorer's table, wound up sinking a deep midrange jumper to put UCLA back on top.

Jaime Jaquez takes flight

11:06 p.m.: If anyone was still unsure about how Jaquez's ankles felt, he put those questions to bed.

Jaquez stole the ball at midcourt, tipped it to himself and got free on the fast break. He took off from a few feet away and threw down the one-handed tomahawk jam, getting his teammates and bench riled up in the process.

UCLA leads 42-37 with 15:38 to go in the game.

Back-and-forth contest heating up

11:18 p.m.: A 7-0 run got North Carolina back into things after UCLA took a five-point lead, and it's only gotten more intense from there.

Juzang hit a pair of free throws to tie it up, only for Love to slash through the paint for a go-ahead layup. Juzang came right back and hit a 3, though, putting the Bruins back on top.

But Love wasn't finished. He hit another layup – which was countered by a corner 3 by Clark – and then he sank one from way downtown and Clark right up in his face.

Campbell blew by Love to make it six lead changes in a three-minute span, and UCLA once again leads 52-51 with 10:35 to play.

Love stays hot, continues to sink big shots

11:28 p.m.: The Tar Heels' high-volume scorer isn't done torching the Bruins, as he has now scored 12 in a row.

Love already has 19 points in the second half after finishing the first half with three. Whether it's layups or 3s, North Carolina has counted on him to hit everything, and he pretty much has.

Campbell hit a layup to put UCLA back ahead by two, but Love hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.

Manek puts UNC on top

11:34 p.m.: Manek had been ice cold since late in the first half, missing several 3-pointers and hardly getting any action on offense.

The near-40% shooter from long range got his mojo back for one shot, though, hitting a 3-pointer over Campbell to give the Tar Heels a 61-60 lead with 4:16 left on the clock.

After hitting five shots in a row, the Bruins have gone 2-of-8. While Manek hit his 3-pointer, both Jaquez and Juzang missed open looks from deep on the other end.

Bernard gives UCLA lead before final media timeout

11:38 p.m.: There is only 3:16 left in regulation, and the Bruins are up by the slightest of margins.

Juzang missed another jumper, but Bernard got the offensive board and flipped it back up and in. Riley got a big defensive board on the other end, and UCLA got the ball after a tie-up.

UCLA leads 62-61 with time ticking away.

FINAL: UNC 73, UCLA 66

12:00 a.m.: Love just would not cool down, and the Bruins did not have an answer. Meanwhile, Jaquez and Juzang could not hit their shots, and UCLA is headed home early.

Final game story HERE.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon was the Publisher and Managing Editor at Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s All Bruins from 2021 to 2023. He is now a staff writer at Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s Fastball. He previously covered UCLA football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, men's soccer, cross country and golf for The Daily Bruin from 2017 to 2021, serving as the paper's Sports Editor from 2019 to 2020. Connon has also been a contributor for 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' BruinBlitz, Dash Sports TV, SuperWestSports, Prime Time Sports Talk, The Sports Life Blog and Patriots Country, Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s New England Patriots site. His work as a sports columnist has been awarded by the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon graduated from UCLA in June 2021 and is originally from Winchester, Massachusetts.