UCLA basketball saw its six-game win streak come to an end on Sunday at the hands of Utah basketball. Before the Utes hit a buzzer-beater for the win, the Bruins lost their leading scorer for the season, Sebastian Mack, after he was issued a flagrant 2 foul midway through the first half and was subsequently ejected from the game.

The freshman guard blatantly struck Utah big man Branden Carlson in the face with his elbow or forearm following a Utes inbound. The two appeared to exchange words before Mack stared down Carlson and performed the act nowhere near the ball. Following review, the officials gave the ruling which ended Mack's night.

Things came full circle as Carlson returned after a brief stint in the locker room and scored the game-winning bucket for Utah on a put-back in the final second.

Mack entered the game as UCLA's leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points per game. He tallied four points and a rebound in the eight minutes he played on Sunday.

Despite losing Mack early in the game, UCLA head coach Mick Cronin said the Bruins can’t use the excuse of being without arguably their best player.

“Excuses are for losers. It was still five-on-five,” Cronin said, per ESPN. “It's not hockey. They weren't in a penalty. We got to sub somebody in. We didn't get the job done. That's on me. Sure, we would have liked to have him.”

Fans not happy with Mack's actions

The overall reaction from fans following Sebastian Mack's ejection was agreement with the call, with most saying he deserves to be suspended as well.

It remains to be seen whether UCLA or the NCAA will inflict further punishment on Mack.

From a purely basketball standpoint, the Bruins would rather have him on the court than not, especially considering they are not a lock to make the NCAA tournament. Following Sunday's loss, UCLA is 14-12 overall and 9-6 in conference play, placing them fourth in the Pac-12 standings.

UCLA basketball has five games remaining in the regular season. The Bruins' next goal is to secure the best possible seed in the Pac-12 tournament, which starts on March 13.