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Social Media Rides Hilly Game Of The Year Against Indiana

Social media got a game of the year with UCLA vs. Indiana, and they got to ride the highs and lows of the matchup.
Nathan Berry|
Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) reacts after he was fouled in the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) reacts after he was fouled in the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Bruins were ready to face the Indiana Hoosiers with hopes to extend their winning streak, which had come out of nowhere a huge upset, to four games.

Against the Hoosiers they had a chance to attain momentum that would last for the season, but they instead gave Social Media a rollercoaster to ride and a messy result.

A Hilly Game For The Bruins: First Half

The Bruins started out with a lead, but it was small and they were not able to retain it for very long because the Hoosiers went on a 15-5 run in the latter part of the first half.

Things were not looking good for UCLA and social media echoed that sentiment, hoping for anything to change for the Bruins before it was too late.

The struggle did not last forever though, and the Bruins were able to go on a monumental run of their own to get their lead back.

It did wonders to get trust back online, and it even went so far as to get some viewers believing that the game was already won for the Bruins, words they would have to eat in the second half.

However, until the second half came around, the Bruins were up 36-30 with a good deal of momentum and a legitimate chance to win the game.

A Hilly Game For The Bruins: Second Half

Fans continued to cement the idea that the Bruins already had the game on lock, preaching that there could be no other outcome.

This actually seemed to be a good thing to say too, because UCLA started out the second half well despite a fiery entrance from the Hoosiers.

Unfortunately though, they were not able to hold off the fire forever, and Indiana began to take a lead and grow it vehemently.

The come-back was off of Nick Dorn, who had come out of nowhere to spoil the Bruins night, and all of a sudden the game was now a guaranteed win for Indiana.

With less than a few minutes to go in the game the Hoosiers had a seven point lead, the mountain was almost insurmountable for the Bruins.

However, they had made huge comebacks before in the season and they still had the ability to do it again, and they began to climb. It took a long time in that final two minutes but that climb ended up being successful when Trent Perry hit a big three to send the game to overtime, 76-76.

A Hilly Game For The Bruins: Overtime

In their first overtime game of the season the Bruins were still going to have to work for the victory, and that was what they did the entire time.

The fight was equal as both teams adjusted, mistakes becoming more common as they both tired out, and overtime ended 84-84 to keep the game going.

A Hilly Game For The Bruins: Second Overtime

The second overtime started out incredibly bad for the Bruins, as they let up a couple free throws and then lost Tyler Bilodeau to fouling out which hurt to see.

Losing Bilodeau was not the end of the game UCLA though, as they had played without him before and could do so again and they got back to work.

The biggest moment came once again from Trent Perry, who was having himself a game, when he hit a huge three to put the Bruins up by three with a minute and a half to go.

The game was tied up until the last moments, where Indiana got a major call to get the ball back with 1.5 second to go in the game. That was when UCLA lost, for Donovan Dent fouled Indiana and gave them the game winning free throws.

The game was one of the greatest of the year and possibly one of the greatest for UCLA ever, but they came out on the losing end where hopefully the Bruins will be able to use it as motivation for the rest of the year.

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Nathan Berry
NATHAN BERRY