On the night of January 20th, 2026, the Men’s UCLA basketball team upset No. 4-ranked Purdue 69-67, thanks to Tyler Bilodeau’s game-winning three-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining
Coming into the game, Purdue was ranked No. 4 in the nation and on a nine-game winning streak. UCLA, on the other hand, was considered the underdog in this matchup, not even being ranked. Personally I thought UCLA would get blown out by 20. However, the game was at the Bruins’ (UCLA) home court, and they wanted to prove themselves in front of their home crowd at Pauley Pavilion. The matchup was highly anticipated, with both historically good teams fighting for a better positioning in their conference standings and national recognition.
Within the first 6 minutes of the game, Purdue was up 14-7, but then in the next two minutes, Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA’s starting forward, made a three, and Xavier Booker, UCLA’s starting forward/center, made a layup to cut Purdue’s lead to only two. Purdue applied pressure the rest of the half, forcing UCLA into hurried shots and turnovers, creating a small advantage. But despite the pressure, UCLA stayed close with important shots from Bilodeau and Donavon Dent, UCLA’s starting guard. Thanks to those two, at the end of the half, the game was tied and set up for an intriguing second half. In my opinion, I would never pick unranked UCLA to be tied with No. 4-ranked Purdue at halftime
Throughout the second half, Purdue and UCLA fought back and forth, trying to gain momentum in this battle. Nearing the end of the game, Purdue seemed to find a way to create space as they were leading the game by 6 points with a minute and forty seconds remaining.
At this point, I thought Purdue could hold on to the lead for the rest of the game. I was wrong.
The momentum began to change when Donovan Dent hit a clutch 3 to cut the lead to a one-possession game and rekindled hope for the Bruins. In the next possession, the Bruins forced a bad pass, which led to a fast break layup from the starting forward, Eric Dailey Jr., to bring Purdue’s lead down to only one with a minute left on the clock. After these plays, I genuinely thought UCLA would finish the comeback. From that moment on, the game became much closer, and UCLA was feeling confident while Purdue was feeling the pressure heading into the last moments of the game.
After the Bruins forced another turnover, they decided to take a timeout, down one, with 28 seconds left on the clock to decide the game. Dent dribbles the ball, waiting as time ticks down. Dent finds Bilodeau open at the right wing for three, and he knocks it down with 8.4 seconds remaining. The crowd in Pauley Pavilion goes crazy, celebrating and putting pressure on Purdue. Purdue had one possession to win the game. Their star guard C.J. Cox took the final shot from beyond the arc for the win, but the ball came up just short, and UCLA sealed the upset.
Ultimately, this shows the Division 1 college basketball world that UCLA can compete with the top-ranked teams. For Purdue, it showed not to underestimate a team with a low ranking than you and that no lead is safe. Games like these highlight how unpredictable they can be and why every possession matters.
