What No. 2 UCLA can learn from nail-biting victory over No. 7 Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich.  No. 2 UCLA (32-1, 13-0) remains undefeated in conference play after taking down No. 7 Michigan (20-4, 11-2) 69-66 on Sunday, but that doesn't mean it was an easy road to get there. 

The Bruins fell behind early in the first quarter 17-13 with the Wolverines coming strong out of the gate. 

"Michigan hustles and they play really hard," senior guard Kiki Rice said (via UCLA Athletics). "I think in the beginning they were definitely playing harder than us."

Slow starts against tough opponents are nothing new for this UCLA team, who faced the same issue in their victory over No. 8 Ohio State, but it's still a somewhat worrying sign for an otherwise outstanding team. 

The Bruins hit their stride in the middle two quarters of the game and led by as much as 13 near the end of the third quarter, but that didn't mean the Wolverines were finished. Michigan outscored UCLA 21-15 in the final quarter and a 6-0 run by the Wolverines in the final 30 seconds as they found their three point shot brought the game down to the wire. 

Coming down to the wire

Back-to-back missed free throws by UCLA senior forward Gabriela Jaquez kept the Bruins from tacking on any extra insurance points to protect a three point lead with 14 seconds left.  

But, strong defense from senior center Lauren Betts in the last possession of the game made things difficult enough that Michigan sophomore guard Syla Swords air-balled what would have been the game-tying three point shot. 

The hard-fought victory should be an important lesson for the Bruins. For the majority of the season they've been able to enjoy size and skill advantages over their opponents, even other Top 25 talent, and cruised their way through through double-digit victories time and time again. 

Games like Sunday's remind them that those advantages aren't always going to be enough and that effort and physicality are going to be the difference makers if they want to succeed in taking the NCAA crown.

Learning from adversity

"You could feel the intensity of each possession and that's something honestly we have needed. We haven't had that really since Texas," UCLA head coach Cori Close said. "I think being able to be in those environments and feel what that's going to feel like... We will learn from that."

No. 4 Texas handed the Bruins their lone loss of the season and definitively won the toughness battle to do it. Close has repeatedly said that the loss against Texas early in the season was good for UCLA and reminded them not to be complacent after coming off of a 2024-25 season where they didn't lose a game until the last stretch of the season. 

Michigan may have not gotten the better of UCLA on Sunday, but the fight the Wolverines put up will keep the Bruins on their toes for when they face steeper and steeper competition as March Madness draws closer. 

"Purpose, connected purpose, when you were looking for something in particular of a matchup you liked as a coach... were you able to play for that purpose?" Close said. "These games are such excellent teachable moments... We will both, Michigan and UCLA, will be better because of what we got to teach through in this particular game."