Mick Cronin Wins five hundredth Profession Sport as UCLA Defeats Ohio State
Mick Cronin reached a milestone, UCLA secured an important win, and Pauley Pavilion honored one in every of its all-time greats.
On an evening full of significance, Eric Dailey Jr. scored 20 factors, and the Bruins fended off a late Ohio State surge to earn a 69-61 victory on Sunday. The win marked Cronin’s five hundredth profession victory, a testomony to his regular climb by the faculty basketball ranks.
Coach Mick Cronin … with the blokes, after 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐨. 𝟓𝟎𝟎. #GoBruins | @CoachMickCronin 🏀🙌 pic.twitter.com/SDRnbR3AJu
— UCLA Males’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) February 24, 2025
Cronin’s Legacy: 500 Wins and Counting
Now in his sixth season at UCLA, Cronin has received 135 video games in Westwood, including to his 296 victories at Cincinnati and 69 wins at Murray State. His 500-232 profession file over 22 seasons displays a training journey outlined by resilience, defensive depth, and postseason success.
The trail to 500 began in 2003 at Murray State, the place Cronin led the Racers to 2 NCAA Match appearances earlier than shifting to his alma mater, Cincinnati, in 2006. Over 13 seasons, he reworked the Bearcats right into a perennial event staff, making 9 straight NCAA appearances and reaching the Candy 16 in 2012.
Win No. 500 for Mick Cronin 👏 @UCLAMBB pic.twitter.com/1wHuJhrPrH
— CBS Sports activities Faculty Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 23, 2025
His arrival at UCLA in 2019 was met with skepticism, but it surely didn’t take lengthy for Cronin to silence doubters. By his second season, he led the Bruins from the First 4 to the Ultimate 4, a Cinderella run that restored UCLA’s nationwide prominence. He adopted that up with back-to-back Candy 16 appearances and a Pac-12 common season title in 2023. Now, of their first yr within the Massive Ten, the Bruins look like surging on the proper time.
UCLA’s Late Surge Secures the Win
The Bruins (20-8, 11-6 Massive Ten) have now received 9 of their final 11 video games, and Sunday’s victory was one other step towards solidifying their NCAA Match hopes.
After main 28-24 at halftime, UCLA prolonged its benefit early within the second half because of Dailey’s sizzling begin. He scored the Bruins’ first 9 factors of the interval, serving to push the result in 39-30 inside the opening 4 minutes.
As an alternative of speaking about his five hundredth win, Mick Cronin shared varied tales from pretend funerals to the shortage of media at Murray State; from Jeff Van Gundy to Mike Krzyzewski quotes, all to clarify what teaching basketball is definitely about pic.twitter.com/MrpM9G1Gke
— Aaron Heisen (@aaron_heisen) February 24, 2025
Ohio State (15-13, 7-10) fought again, reducing the deficit to 39-37, however Skyy Clark responded with two clutch three-pointers, restoring a nine-point cushion. The Bruins stretched their result in 13 with three minutes left earlier than the Buckeyes made one remaining push.
A 3-pointer by John Mobley Jr. with 22 seconds remaining lower UCLA’s result in 67-61, however Clark calmly sank two free throws to seal the victory.
Clark completed with 13 factors, whereas Sebastian Mack (11 factors) and Aday Mara (10 factors) additionally contributed for UCLA. Bruce Thornton led Ohio State with 21 factors, and Micah Parrish added 12 within the Buckeyes’ fourth loss in 5 video games.
Honoring Invoice Walton
The night time carried added significance as UCLA paid tribute to the late Invoice Walton, who handed away in Could 2024 after a battle with most cancers.
One of the crucial beloved figures in Bruins historical past, Walton led UCLA to 2 nationwide championships (1972, 1973) and stays one in every of school basketball’s most dominant gamers. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one other UCLA legend, shared his admiration for Walton in a CBS interview, underscoring his impression on the sport and this system.
Cronin commented on it with CBS’s Tiffany Blackmon.
Mick Cronin will get his five hundredth win on “Invoice Walton Day”
“At present is about Invoice [Walton]. He was UCLA. This can be a actually big day.”
Wonderful
(Through @CBSSportsCBB 🎥)
pic.twitter.com/aChSE8HVk1
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) February 24, 2025
With momentum constructing, UCLA now prepares for a marquee matchup towards No. 13 Purdue on Friday—a take a look at that would additional bolster their event resume.
In the meantime, Ohio State stays in Los Angeles to face USC on Wednesday, hoping to maintain their postseason hopes alive.
For the Bruins, Sunday wasn’t simply one other win. It was a milestone for Cronin, a tribute to a legend, and one other step towards March Insanity.
