Illinois moves to 0-3 in overtime games as they turn an early 23-point lead into a heatrbreaking 95-94 loss on a buzzer-beating lay-in by UCLA’s Donovan Dent.

By Matt Stevens - IllinoGuys Staff Writer

February 21, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Donovan Dent went nearly the entire the length of the court in 4.9 seconds for an acrobatic lay-in at the buzzer to send Illinois away from Pauley Pavilion with an overtime loss to UCLA.

Dent, finished the game with 14 points and 15 assists - his seventh double-double of the 2025-26 season, was the catalyst behind a 95-94 comeback win for the Bruins that saw them down by as many as 23 points in the first half.

It is the second time this season that UCLA has fought back to defeat a Top 10 program inside its home arena as they trailed Purdue by 12 points (27-15) with seven minutes and 20 seconds to play in the first half before pulling out a dramatic 69-67 win nearly a month ago.

UCLA, which is trying to secure top-level wins in this last month of the season to ensure a NCAA Tournament bid, is now 7-0 when shooting at least 50 percent from the field this season. The Bruins (18-9, 10-6 in Big Ten Conference) accomplished this overtime win without its leading scorer, Eric Dailey Jr., being involved in the entire extra five-minute frame.

Dent has averaged 6.9 assists per game in 25 contests this season. Since assists were routinely

recorded at UCLA, starting in 1973-74, only three student-athletes have logged at least seven assists per game in one season (Pooh Richardson, twice, as well as Lonzo Ball in 2016-17 and Larry Drew II in 2012-13). However, with UCLA down 4.9 seconds in the overtime period, Dent was not about to pass the basketball as he went past three Illinois defenders and swooped in for a dramatic buzzer-beating lay-in. Dent’s 15 assists marks the second road loss where an opposing point guard has reached that total in a game after Jeremy Fears Jr. got 15 assists in the Illini’s overtime loss in East Lansing, Mich. on Feb. 7.

Illinois (22-6, 13-4) are now 0-3 in overtime games this season with losses at Michigan State, vs. Wisconsin and now a defeat in the program’s first game in Pauley Pavilion since Dec. 30, 1997. The Illini last played the Bruins in a 74-69 win for then-No. 9 UCLA where Illini guard Kevin Turner had 32 points.

The No. 10 Illini built a 33-10 lead early on thanks to a 20-0 run that included four three-point baskets from Ben Humrichous in a five-minute span. Humrichous finished with 15 points as he, Andrej Stojakovic and Zvonimir Ivisic combined for 34 points from the Illini bench.

Keaton Wagler finished with a team-high 19 points but needed 15 field goal attempts to get there to go along with eight rebounds and six assists. Wagler had what would’ve been the game-winning basket with 4.9 seconds remaining on a putback from an offensive rebound following a Humrichous three-point attempt that bounced off the rim. Illinois finished with 27 second-chance points off 20 offensive rebounds.

Humrichous finished the first half a perfect 4 of 4 from three-point range but would miss six of his final seven shots from beyond the arc on Saturday night. Illinois finished 3 of 23 from three-point range in the final 25 minutes of action that included 0 for 5 in the overtime period.

Tyler Bilodeau went from being a near non-factor in the first half to finishing with 16 points in second half and overtime as the Bruins leading scorer came to life during a furious rally to push UCLA to its first win in 14 days.

Former Illinois guard Skyy Clark, who playing in just his second game since being out for 10 contests with a severe hamstring injury, had 10 points before fouling out with three minutes and 37 seconds left in overtime.

David Mirkovic hit a jumper nearly 90 seconds into the contest and then the freshman forward proceeded to miss seven consecutive shots as foul trouble saw his Saturday night sputter to just three points and five rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes.

With the loss, Illinois now falls back into a four-way tie with Purdue, Michigan State and Nebraska in the loss column for second place in the Big Ten, three games behind conference leader Michigan. With only four more league games on the schedule for Illinois, they’re now in a four-team battle for the remaining three triple-bye spots in the upcoming 2026 Big Ten Tournament in Chicago.