Bruins' Cronin on Dailey Game-Winner,:'I Got a Lot of Confidence in Him'

The UCLA Bruins came out with another statement win on Tuesday night as they defeated the No. 9 Michigan State Spartans at home. Sophomore forward Eric Dailey Jr. took and made the game-winning shot in the final seconds due to his coach's confidence in him.

Feb 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) shoots over Michigan State Spartans forward Coen Carr (55) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (17-6, 8-4) pulled out yet another Top-25 win this season as they downed the No. 9 Michigan State Spartans (18-4, 9-2) at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday night. It came down to a final shot from sophomore forward Eric Dailey Jr., which he hit to give the Bruins a lead in the final seconds.

Dailey did not receive the ball by coincidence. In a 61-61 tie with 22 seconds left, head coach Mick Cronin quickly brought Dailey back into the game and drew up a play that would give him the final shot. He caught the ball at the top of the key, drove toward the basket, and finished through contact.

"I decided in the timeout to go to Eric on the last play," Cronin said postgame. "I thought he hadn't had his best night, but I got a lot of confidence in him. [We] tried to get him to his left hand, get his feet in the paint, and score."

Dailey had just 9 points, but the final 2 were the most important for his team to earn their fifth ranked win and 12th home victory of the season. The sophomore star spoke postgame about what went into the final shot and what the game plan was for Dailey to win them the game.

'I subbed back in, and Coach [Cronin] was saying we need to get a shot downhill," Dailey said. "I catch it at the elbow and just drive to my strong hand and get a good shot off, and it really worked as a plan. I just thank everybody for just trusting me with that. We didn't shoot the best tonight just top down, but I think just the best teams come out when they're not hitting shots."

The Bruins played sensational defense to make up for an underwhelming shooting performance. As Dailey mentioned, they did not shoot well on Tuesday, as they were just 37.7% from the field and 22.7% from 3-point range. The only that mattered was the next one and Dailey made sure to hit it.

Among those in attendance were a pair of basketball legends. Former Los Angeles Lakers teammates Earvin "Magic" Johnson (former Spartan) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (former Bruin) were in the building to watch one of the more thrilling games for the Bruins this season.

"Definitely a highlight moment in my career," Dailey said. "Just two legends that played the game before me, one that went here. It was a big shot, and I just thank my teammates for trusting me to take that shot."

With several games left in the regular season and a more than likely NCAA Tournament bid, there will surely be more moments where a big shot will be needed for this team to win. Dailey showed his abiltiy to come up big in the clutch and Cronin will continue to rely on him in key moments.

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