All Bruins

Social Media Reacts To Up-And-Down Tournament Win

The Bruins were able to stop Rutgers and continue to the next round, which social media enjoyed despite some shakiness.
Nathan Berry|
Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) brings the ball up court against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) brings the ball up court against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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UCLA Bruins

The Bruins entered their first round of Big Ten tournament play against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and expectations were high for them to advance to the next round and face MSU.

There was also the opportunity to prepare for the March Madness tournament and be able to stumble without facing too many consequences aside from a humbling loss, which would help them grow.

UCLA, Donovan Den
Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) drives to the basket against Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Harun Zrno (13) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

UCLA ended up having a bit of both worlds in their eventual victory, and there was a lot to be grateful about but much to improve, and social media got to watch it all unfold.

A Learning Experience Before March Madness: The First Half

The Bruins were not on their home court, and their explosive play that seems to only be at home left them in the start of the first half as they struggled to get points on the board.

Luckily the Scarlet Knights were also struggling in the start, making it an ugly and scrappy game for fans to watch; some liked it but the vast majority hated it.

In many occasions UCLA is able to find their rythym going into halftime to either increase their lead or cut down their deficit depending on the game, but against Rutgers they still couldn't get anything to land.

They entered halftime up by six points, 24-30, but they could have easily had many more and social media needed to see more come the second half for them to believe they could win the game.

A Learning Experience Before March Madness: The Second Half

The second half saw a fire finally starting to appear for both teams, and the Bruins looked like they had some life in them, heavily in part to one person: Donovan Dent.

He was having a historic performance not only for the team but in the Big Ten tournament's history, as he became the first player to ever have a triple double in the tournament; his help put the Bruins vastly ahead.

The short burst of energy dropped off and the Scarlet Knights were able to make a furious comeback attempt, but it fizzled out in the last minutes of the game to give the Bruins a solid 72-59 victory to move on in the tournament.

The game was rough, and aside from Dent's history-making game UCLA struggled to play well, which will be something to learn from and fix with social media's support at their side.

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Nathan Berry
NATHAN BERRY

Nathan Berry is a senior at NCCS and was raised a Michigan State Spartan fan. With a great interest in sports and writing, journalism is a great avenue to pursue both.