University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
UCLA
#2 UConn Takes On #7 UCLA In Second Round Action
3/21/2026 11:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – The two-seed UConn men's basketball team (30-5) continues its run at the 2026 NCAA Tournament when it takes on seven-seed UCLA (24-11) for a battle of blue bloods in the Second Round of the East Regional on Sunday night. Tip-off from Xfinity Mobile Arena is set for approximately 8:45 p.m. and will air on TNT with Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Evan Washburn on the call.
The two programs with a combined 17 national championships in NCAA men's basketball will meet for only the second time in their storied histories, the only other matchup coming in the 1995 Elite Eight. UCLA took that matchup, 102-96, on 3/25/95 in Oakland before going on to win its 11th and most recent crown. The Huskies are 6-4 under Dan Hurley against current Big Ten members and have won their last five against the conference, including a 3-0 record in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Huskies are playing in their 39th NCAA Tournament and have made six-straight trips to the Big Dance, a new program record. UConn has now reached the 30-win mark for the third time in four seasons. That has only happened over one other four-year stretch in UConn history (1995-99).
Both sides advanced in Philadelphia after hard-fought First Round match-ups on Friday night, with UCLA holding off 10-seed UCF in a 75-71 win and UConn running away late for an 82-71 win over 15-seed Furman in the nightcap. The Huskies improved to 73-33 all-time at the NCAA Tournament with the win. Since the current seeding format began in 1979, Connecticut is 16-5 in the Second Round of the Big Dance.
Tarris Reed Jr. let the Huskies to their win over the Paladins with one of the great performances in NCAA Tournament history. The big man finished with career-highs of 31 points and 27 rebounds on 12-of-15 shooting, adding three assists for good measure. In addition to single-handedly out-rebounding Furman he grabbed the most rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game since 1973. He became only the third man in the history of the tournament and the first in 58 years to post a 30-25 game, joining Elvin Hayes and Jerry Lucas. It was two shy of the UConn postseason record, set in 1965 by Toby Kimball. It was one of 15 all-time 25-rebound games in a March Madness setting and one of two since 1977.
Reed Jr.'s dominant day on Friday was particularly crucial to offset a tough shooting day from the outside for the Huskies, hitting on 1-14 in an ice cold first half and 5-25 for the game from three. UConn still managed to shoot 49.2 percent for the day and dish out 22 assists against only nine turnovers and got 22 points from Alex Karaban in the triumph. Karaban connected on four UConn's five triples on the day and scored 15 of his 22 points in the decisive second half. His first 3-pointer gave him sole possession of UConn's all-time record for made 3-pointers. Karaban is also the program's record holder for wins, games started, games played and minutes log and is eighth on the all-time scoring list.
Reed Jr. leads UConn in scoring (14.3 ppg), rebounding (8.7 rpg) and blocks (2.0 bpg) this season while checking in among the top-12 nationally with a 63.5 field goal percentage. Solo Ball joins him among all five starters in double-figures with 13.4 per game, recently named a Top Five Finalist for the Jerry West Award. Karaban stuffs the stat sheet with 12.9 points, 5.2 assists and 2.3 assists per game, playing a game-high 33.8 minutes per game as the lone Husky to start all 35 contests.
Braylon Mullins made his March Madness debut for UConn on Friday and finished with 12 points, a career-high six assists and three steals to make a strong impact despite a tough shooting day. On the year, Mullins scores 12.0 points per game and is among the BIG EAST leaders with 2.1 made 3-pointers per game. Silas Demary Jr. is the fifth Husky averaging double-figures and scores 10.9 points per game along with a league-leading 6.2 assists per game and a team-high 1.6 steals a night. He missed the Furman game with an injury, his first missed start this season, but Malachi Smith was the next man up and dished out seven assists against one turnover in his first official start as a Husky and first career appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bruins reached Sunday in Philadelphia by way of a 75-71 win over Centra Florida. UCLA led by as many as 14 in the first half and took an eight point lead to the break before holding off UCF in a high-scoring second stanza. Eric Dailey Jr. led four UCLA players in double-digits with 20 points, while Xavier Booker and Trent Perry scored 15 apiece and Donovan Dent added 10 with five assists and six steals.
UCLA was without top scorer Tyler Bilodeau, who averages 17.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, on Friday night. Dent (13.4 ppg), Perry (12.8 ppg), Dailey Jr. (11.6 ppg) and Skyy Clark (11.5 ppg) also score in double-figures for the Bruins. Dent is among the national leaders with 7.5 assists per game to trigger an offense that ranks among the top-25 in Kenpom defensive efficiency.
The winner on Sunday night will head to Washington, D.C. for the Sweet 16 where three-seed Michigan State awaits in the East Regional Semifinal on Friday, March 27.
