Donovan Dent’s OT layup lifts UCLA men to upset of No. 10 Illinois

LOS ANGELES — With the nation’s eyes on Westwood, with questions swirling about whether Mick Cronin had lost the fanbase and the locker room, the UCLA men’s basketball team authored a response. The Bruins played for their coach.

Amid this week’s judgment, Cronin implored, “Nobody’s got their players back more than me.” He sleeps well at night, he said, because nobody works harder to teach these guys. His players seconded that message.

Then on Saturday, they exemplified that support for their coach with a gritty effort to upset No. 10 Illinois, 95-94 in overtime.

How’s that for an apology?

The Bruins played with the toughness Cronin demands. They dove for loose balls. They fought for box outs. They didn’t blink despite being down 23 points in the first half deficit, or when trailing by one with 4.9 seconds left in overtime.

Needing one more punch, Donovan Dent mimicked the great Tyus Edney. He drove coast-to-coast, scooping home a game-winning layup as the buzzer sounded.

Dent finished with 14 points and 15 assists. He made up for missing a potential go-ahead 3-pointer at the end of regulation. Eric Dailey Jr. dropped a game-high 20 points despite fouling out in the second half. Tyler Bilodeau scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half and overtime, hitting a crucial corner 3-pointer to start the extra period.

But for the first 10 minutes, there were fears the drama surrounding UCLA was too much for the players to handle.

“We looked like we lost confidence,” Cronin said following the game.

UCLA inserted Skyy Clark into the starting lineup for the first time since Jan. 6, opting for a smaller lineup with Xavier Booker heading to the bench. Illinois, which entered Saturday as the nation’s sixth-best rebounding rate, exploited the size advantage.

The Illini grabbed seven offensive boards in the first 10 minutes, jumping out to a 23-point lead after Ben Humrichous hit his fourth 3-point shot. That capped a 20-0 Illinois run, as the Bruins missed 11 consecutive field goal attempts over a six-minute span.

Humrichous and guard Jake Davis bumped chests to celebrate the Illini’s hot start as the Bruins called a timeout. They responded with 23 points, taking the lid off the basket over the next six minutes. Clark hit a transition step-back 3-pointer, meeting the boos from visiting Illinois fans with gritty shot-making.

Still, Illinois retained a comfortable lead as they shot 10-of-19 from 3-point range in the first half to score 50 points. The Illini had a chance to increase that total on the final possession of the half, but committed a turnover. Trent Perry sprinted the other way, drawing a foul on a 3-point shot, converting each to bring UCLA within seven at the break.

UCLA carried that momentum into the second half. They started on a 13-6 run, tying the game after Dent found Dailey for a transition dunk. They continued that effort, with timely defensive rotations and solid box-outs to prevent second-chance points.

Booker put-back a layup to give the Bruins their first lead. Dent dished a no-look pass to Tyler Bilodeau for a dunk. Dailey hit a corner 3-pointer, and Bilodeau flared for another one to give UCLA a five-point lead.

Illinois responded. Keaton Wagler and Zvonimir Ivisic connected for the alley-oop. Humrichous banged his fifth 3-pointer of the night, and Dent’s miss sent the game to overtime.

Despite that miss, UCLA carried that energy into the extra period, earning a victory that can rewrite their season.