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Social Media Rides Rollercoaster In Northwestern Victory

UCLA defeated Northwestern in a bumpy game, and social media was along for the ride.
Nathan Berry|
Jan 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) is defended by Northwestern Wildcats guard Jordan Clayton (11) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jan 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) is defended by Northwestern Wildcats guard Jordan Clayton (11) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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UCLA Bruins

The Bruins had one of the biggest upsets in the nation when they beat the #4 ranked Purdue Boilermakers 69-67, and to prove the win wasn't a fluke they would need to win their next few games.

Their first opportunity to win would come against the Northwestern Wildcats, a game that UCLA was expected to dominate in every way.

Yet the game actually ended up being much closer than that, and the Bruins gave social media a rollercoaster of a game to watch.

The Rollercoaster Game Against Northwestern: 1st Half

It was the first game at home for the Bruins against the Wildcats, and it took the team a few minutes to get warmed up and continue getting used to the home crowd again after their long series of road trips.

Because of that the game started off close, with the Bruins leading by a lone point with 15 minutes left in the first half despite some lackluster play from Northwestern.

However, after the slow start the Bruins made themselves the first team to pick things up and they started to score left and right.

The fire came mostly from Tyler Bilodeau, who has recently been social media's favorite player to root from the Bruins because of his great play every game.

There were concerns as the game went on though regardless of the growing lead from the Bruins because of many missed shots from the free throw line.

The issues were put on the back burner as the Bruins began to pull away with the game nearing the end of the first half.

Their lead grew to ten points, 41-31, by the time the half ended, and although they could have been much better they still were doing enough to please much of their viewers online.

The Rollercoaster Game Against Northwestern: 2nd Half

While the scares in the first half were small they were already enough for social media to not want anymore, or to expect any more scares because of the Bruins ten point lead.

The second half actually started very controlled for UCLA, and social media seemed to be certain their Bruins would win as the lead grew to 16 and they watched as the in person fans gave UCLA another advantage besides the lead.

Unfortunately for the fans and for UCLA, the ruthless nature of the crowd began to turn the game into Northwestern's favor, as they got riled up to defend their teammate.

The game suddenly started to get close and the Wildcats were within six at one point, on fire, and threatening to upset the Bruins who had seemed invincible not long before.

Thankfully for the Bruins, the team was able to get their act together and hold out for a 71-64 victory, a win that was great to have but came with serious concerns for the team.

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Nathan Berry
NATHAN BERRY