All Bruins

Social Media Reacts to UCLA Scare Against Ohio State

The Bruins faced the Buckeyes in the Big Ten tournament and scared social media with how unusually close the game was.
Nathan Berry|
Mar 7, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) dribbles the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Mar 7, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) dribbles the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

UCLA entered the Big Ten tournament with only one loss on the season, and they were heavy favorites going into their match against the No. 5 seed Ohio State Buckeyes.

They were expected to win by blowout proportions, but as the game progressed, some things started to fall apart for UCLA, and the game got much closer than anticipated.

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Feb 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

So how did social media react to the scare, and has it's feelings toward the March Madness tournament changed at all?

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Feb 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

A Scare Against the Buckeyes: First Quarter

The first quarter started extremely close between the Bruins and the Buckeyes, with UCLA being seemingly caught off guard by the intense pressure Ohio State brought to the court.

Luckily for UCLA, their opponent was struggling to do anything in the paint, and that led to finding a lead by the end of the quarter of 14-10, which was good for social media to see but not enough to quell their concerns.

A Scare Against the Buckeyes: Second Quarter

The second quarter was the best 10 minutes of the entire game for the Bruins score-wise, as they were able to extend their lead by seven points to enter halftime up 32-21.

They seemed to have moved past the shock of the first quarter and found their typical dominant play again, which gave excitement back to UCLA fans and disappointment to opposing fans.

A Scare Against the Buckeyes: Third Quarter

The offense that had picked up in the second quarter continued after halftime, but it looked like defense had gone out the window, and the Buckeyes had their first real opportunity to cut into the UCLA lead.

The game was still in control, and UCLA was able to extend its lead by one point, but social media was still not fully convinced about certain aspects of the team entering the fourth quarter.

A Scare Against the Buckeyes: Fourth Quarter

The final 10 minutes of the game saw the most sloppy play in a while for the Bruins, and the Buckeyes were actually able to cut into the lead by a few points with amazing defensive plays and a couple of steals.

The win was still well within the range of Ohio State entering the final seconds of the game, but they were unable to capitalize on UCLA's minutes of faltering, and the Bruins came out on top 72-62.

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Mar 7, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close reacts to a play against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Social media was, of course, excited to see the win, but concerns began to float around their performance for March Madness, which will need to be fixed in the Big Ten championship match on Sunday.

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Nathan Berry
NATHAN BERRY