Mick Cronin opted to intervene before game officials could remove center Steven Jamerson II during Tuesday’s game.
He took the action into his own hands.
The head coach of UCLA ejected his own athlete from the Bruins’ significant 82-59 defeat against the 15th-ranked Michigan State team on Tuesday, following a technical foul assessment.
Approximately four minutes remained in the game at the Breslin Center when Jamerson approached from behind, committing a foul on Michigan State’s center Carson Cooper as Cooper attempted an uncontested dunk. Jamerson made forceful contact with Cooper, causing him to fall uncomfortably. Cooper promptly rose and confronted Jamerson near the basket, though they were quickly pulled apart without further incident.
Observing the event while his squad trailed by nearly 30 points, Cronin summoned Jamerson to the sideline, gripped his jersey, and escorted him off the playing surface, gesturing towards the changing room. Jamerson offered little resistance, heading towards the exit.
“It appears he escalated that to a flagrant 2, correct? That’s the inaugural instance I’ve witnessed a coach take such action,” stated Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. “That’s typical of Mick; he’ll resolve the situation.”
Jamerson concluded the game with a stat line of two points and two rebounds across eight minutes of play. This season, the senior athlete has maintained averages of 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest.
Both Jamerson and Cooper received technical fouls for their involvement in the play, and Cooper converted one of two free throws resulting from the initial foul during his dunk attempt. This extended Michigan State’s lead to 28 points.
Jeremy Fears spearheaded Michigan State’s effort with 16 points and 10 assists during their victory. The Spartans maintained control for almost the entire duration, heading into halftime with a 20-point advantage even after a scoreless final two minutes of the half. Coen Carr contributed an additional 16 points, while Cooper secured 12 points and seven rebounds. Their team achieved a 52% success rate from beyond the arc and surpassed UCLA in rebounding by a margin of 10.
This triumph occurred during a challenging period for Michigan State. The Spartans had suffered defeats in three of their preceding five games, including an away loss to unranked Minnesota and a 21-point deficit against Wisconsin. Their current season record stands at 21-5, placing them third in the Big Ten standings.
Tyler Bilodeau was UCLA’s top scorer with 22 points and six rebounds. Skyy Clark was the sole other Bruins athlete to achieve double-digit scoring, contributing 12 points as a reserve. This defeat lowered the Bruins’ seasonal record to 17-9 as they endeavor to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament. It also represented their second consecutive substantial loss, following a 30-point defeat to Michigan merely days prior.
Cronin is currently in his sixth tenure year with the Bruins, a team that commenced the season ranked 12th nationally before entirely dropping from the polls. His coaching record with the Bruins stands at 155-73, having guided them to a Final Four appearance during his second season in Southern California.
The Bruins are scheduled to host the 10th-ranked Illinois team on Saturday. Jamerson’s participation in that upcoming game at Pauley Pavilion, subsequent to Tuesday’s occurrence in East Lansing, remains uncertain.
