Feb 17, 2026; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) battles Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) for a first half rebound at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images Dale Young-Imagn Images

Bilodeau, Clark Dissect Embarrassing UCLA Loss

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Justin Backer | Last updated Feb 19, 2026 12:30 PM ET

Things have gone from bad to worse for the UCLA Bruins, as they fell 82-59 against #15 Michigan State in one of their more embarrassing performances of the season.

While most of the attention is currently on Mick Cronin’s decision to eject Steven Jamerson from the game himself, following by snapping at a reporter after the game, the Bruins fell flat once again against a top-tier Big Ten opponent.

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After being blown out 86-56 by Michigan over the weekend, UCLA followed it up with another blowout at the hands of Michigan State. For a team fighting for an NCAA Tournament spot, they sure haven’t looked like a team that belongs in the big dance this week.

Bilodeau, Clark react to loss

After the game, Tyler Bilodeau — who finished with 22 points on 8-16 shooting from the floor — explained what he believes went wrong in the Bruins’ second-straight meltdown.

“We were bad defensively, got embarrassed on the glass, just all around not a great game,” Bilodeau said. “I thought we did a good job the last two days in practice. It’s definitely tough going down that much early. Got to give credit to them, they made a lot of shots.”

“We’ve just got to figure it out,” he added. “It’s up to us. We’ve got to figure it out.”

Dale Young-Imagn Images

Guard Skyy Clark, who finished with 12 points in his second game back since returning from injury, shared similar sentiments as Bilodeau. The pair were the only Bruins to score in double-digits in the deflating defeat.

“It’s definitely hard, not where we want to be right now,” Clark said. “We’re just not playing hard enough. I think we’re disconnected on defense, and I don’t think we’re playing offense like we should. Just got to figure out something.”

“We’re all just saying ‘stay together,’” Clark added. “We’re going to figure this out, the season's not over with yet. Still got some really big games coming up that we can get. Just got to stay together. I think we have dudes that want to win. They care, they’re fighting, but, obviously we’ve just got to figure out something to get a win.”

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It doesn’t get much easier for the Bruins — who are now 17-9 overall, and 9-6 in Big Ten play. Their next opponent is #10 Illinois, who they’ll look to make a statement against after two straight blowout losses to ranked opponents. They’ll also see USC twice, Minnesota, and #9 Nebraska in their remaining games after Illinois.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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