How Michigan Lost To UCLA In The Elite Eight

The final four is what both UCLA and Michigan were aiming for last night as they squared off during the elite eight. Michigan would go on to lose in a heartbreaker ending by a score of 51-49. As for UCLA, which started in the first four, they will now be in the final four as the fifth 11 seed to do so. 

Michigan shot a respectable 39% from the field, but only 27% from beyond the 3 point arc. Franz Wagner, one of their primary scorers, took ten shots and only got 1 to fall. Similarly, starting point guard, Mike Smith went 1/7, although the singular make came in a big moment.

The numbers aren’t wrong when you consider that UCLA shot 39% percent from the field and only 23% from the three-ball. UCLA’s spark came from Johnny Juzang, who kept his momentum rolling with a brilliant 28 point outing on 11-of-19 shooting. Juzang caught fire early and kept the momentum going with a continuous flurry of jump shots. 

Throughout the season, Michigan’s offense looked solid. That was not the case against UCLA. As a team that averaged 75 points on the season, they were held to a weak 49 last night. Their defense kept them alive, however, and helped them stay competitive throughout the entire game. No team had a safe lead, in fact, and the biggest was just 9 points by UCLA just after halftime. 

Down the stretch with a score 50-49 favoring UCLA, Franz Wagner took a football-like handoff from Mike Smith and catapulted a three-ball that airballed its way into Eli Brooks’ hands. Brooks quickly threw it back up as soon as he caught it, also coming short of the basket.

As Michigan fouled them, UCLA locked up the rebound and sent Johnny Juzang to the free-throw line. Still, up by 1 with 6.3 seconds remaining, the 91% free throw shooter made the first one. Michigan, deciding to pull out all the psychological stops, called a timeout before his second attempt. Maybe to ice the shooter? It worked as Juzang’s second free throw rolled off the rim. Wagner got the board, and Michigan used their final time out with 6 seconds left.

On Michigan’s final inbounds play, Wagner inbounded the ball to Mike Smith. Smith, trying to dribble around his defender, got a clean look at the rim for 3, only for it to barely miss. UCLA and Michigan both went for the rebound, but the ball got bobbled around and went out of bounds. 

The referee’s determined that it was Michigan’s ball; 0.5 seconds were left on the clock. Hunter Dickinson, who seemed to be Michigan’s saving grace at times, inbounded the ball to Wagner, who immediately threw up the shot from downtown. The shot clanked off the rim, as it had seemed to do for all of Wagner’s shots that night, and the game was over. UCLA wins, Michigan goes home.

UCLA (22-9) will face the number 1 seeded and undefeated Gonzaga in the final four. The other side of the bracket will be number 1 seed Baylor vs. number 2 seed Houston.