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Men's Basketball Falls To UCLA In West Coast Road Trip

The Maryland men's basketball team could not overcome a slow first-half start to defeat the UCLA Bruins Saturday night.
Jaden Golding|
Jan 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Maryland Terrapins players huddle in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jan 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Maryland Terrapins players huddle in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Maryland TerrapinsUCLA Bruins

Despite fighting to come back in the second-half, the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team could not complete the feat, falling on the road to the UCLA Bruins, 67-55, on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion.

It's the Terps' (7-9, 0-5 Big Ten) third-straight loss, and now drops them to 2-8 in their past 10 contests.

Meanwhile, the Bruins move to 11-5 and 3-2 in Big Ten games this season. UCLA ended a two-game skid after loses to Iowa and Wisconsin.

Terps guard David Coit hit a 26-foot three-point jumper, giving them a 19-18 lead with 9:03 on the clock in the first half.

After that basket, UCLA used a huge 16-0 run over nearly the next four-and-a-half minutes to give itself a 16-point lead.

During that span, Maryland's offense went cold, attempting only three shots, missing all of them, turning the ball over four times, and creating no good looks to stop the bleeding.

The Bruins took a 38-21 lead into the half. Maryland had 10 first-half turnovers, more than total field goals made (9-for-30), 30%.

However, in the second half, Maryland responded strongly, giving them a chance to climb back in the contest.

The Terps offense created better opportunities for themselves, driving, penetrating, and kicking out for cleaner looks from outside the arc. You also noticed the overall pace and intensity kick into high gear.

Maryland used a 10-2 run late in the half to make it a 56-51 UCLA lead with 6:18 left after trailing as much as 17 points at one point.

UCLA quickly responded, scoring the following six points, sealing the Bruins' victory for the rest of the way and ending any hopes of a comeback for Maryland.

Elijah Saunders topped his best performance as a Terp so far from the previous game, securing his first double-double (17 points & 12 rebounds). Saunders shot 6-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-8 from the three-point line.

Guard Darius Adams was the next most productive player for Maryland, scoring 13 points with six rebounds, three assists, and a steal.

Trent Perry (16 points) and Eric Dailey (15 points) led the Bruins.

Key Team Stats:

  • Maryland shot 30.3 % from the floor (20-of-66), 18.2 % from three (6-of-33), and 60% at the free-throw line (9-of-15).
  • The Terps outrebounded the Bruins 48-29, grabbing 20 offensive rebounds. Saunders grabbed 10 offensive rebounds alone.
  • Maryland outscored UCLA in points in the paint (26-22) and second chance points (24-9).
  • The Terps only turned the ball over three times in the second half.

Up Next:

Maryland stays in California to face off against the USC Trojans on Tuesday night, with tipoff beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET.

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Jaden Golding
JADEN GOLDING

Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.

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