They’re back to full strength. They’re getting excellent guard play. They’re optimizing lineups that now include a certain Spanish 7-footer.

On the night that Tyler Bilodeau returned from an ankle injury and Aday Mara continued to play big minutes, the UCLA Bruins showed just how formidable they can be.

What was supposed to be a showdown turned into a rout, the Bruins completely outclassing a nationally ranked team on their home court. UCLA was better across the board Thursday night during a 78-52 victory over No. 16 Oregon before the most raucous and appreciative crowd of the season at Pauley Pavilion.

The fans were on their feet and roaring after Mara threw an outlet pass reminiscent of legendary predecessor Bill Walton to Eric Dailey Jr. for a vicious, one-handed dunk. The Bruins were up by 27 points, and everyone wearing blue and gold could dream about the possibilities for a team that seemed lifeless as recently as 2½ weeks ago.

Now look at them.

The Bruins (16-6 overall, 7-4 Big Ten) have won five games in a row and have gone 6-0 against their old Pac-12 rivals, including a nonconference triumph over Arizona.

Dailey led the way with 21 points on eight-for-nine shooting, point guard Dylan Andrews added 15 points without a hint of the cramping issues that sidelined him for the final five minutes against USC, and Bilodeau had 15 after missing most of the last two games because of his sprained ankle.

UCLA’s Skyy Clark knocks the ball out of the hands of Oregon’s Brandon Angel in the first half Thursday.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

“He was as good as you could be offensively,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said of Dailey, who made all three of his three-pointers and both of his free throws.

The Bruins won so comfortably that a good chunk of the crowd of 9,288 departed before the final minutes to beat traffic as Cronin inserted a slew of reserves. Trent Perry provided a final highlight when he threw a lob to William Kyle III for a dunk.

Cronin spent several minutes afterward praising Dailey for his work ethic, saying that the Oklahoma State transfer moved to Los Angeles a month before the start of summer school and spent two hours a day in the gym.

“Eric Dailey spends more time in the gym on his shooting,” Cronin said, “and he’s the most dedicated guy that I’ve ever coached on his diet, his rest, his commitment to what he’s trying to accomplish in basketball and it pays off for him.”

Dailey has made 54.2% of his shots — topped only by Kyle’s 71.4% and Mara’s 62.5%, both on considerably fewer attempts — after Cronin advised the sophomore forward to keep his head still when he shoots and get more arc on the ball. No one has matched Dailey’s hours in the gym.

“Always been that type of player since high school,” Dailey said of his routine. “Something that works for me — just staying consistent in the gym, doing the same thing every day, don’t got to be nothing crazy, but just seeing the ball going through the net.”

Oregon had no answers for UCLA’s efficient offense and relentless defense despite a brief flurry to open the second half. The Ducks (16-5, 5-5) aggressively attacked the basket, cutting what had been a 17-point deficit to 10 on TJ Bamba’s driving layup.

But a turning point came when Mara rejected another driving layup by Bamba and Kobe Johnson came up with a steal in the backcourt, forcing Ducks coach Dana Altman to bend over and place his hands on his knees in anguish. Johnson then drove and passed to Mara for a dunk, sparking a 12-4 run that essentially ended Oregon’s hopes of a comeback.

The decibels rose to their highest point after Mara’s outlet pass.

“That shows Aday’s IQ right there, just being able to look at the floor as soon as you get the ball,” Dailey said. “So, big shoutout to Aday for that.”

Center Nate Bittle scored 13 points for the Ducks, who shot 41.2% to the Bruins’ 55.6% and got basically nothing from guard Jackson Shelstad, their second-leading scorer who was shut down by UCLA counterpart Skyy Clark (five assists, four rebounds) and others. Shelstad took only two shots and finished scoreless with four rebounds and two assists.

Mara finished with seven points, three blocks, three rebounds and three assists in 20 effective minutes, spending stretches alongside either Bilodeau or Dailey as part of what might be the Bruins’ best lineup.

UCLA played some of its best defense of the season in building a 40-26 halftime lead, the Bruins holding the Ducks scoreless for more than 5½ minutes. Pauley Pavilion was rocking in the final seconds before halftime after Mara’s block of Brandon Angel triggered a fast break ending in a Johnson layup.

Bilodeau quickly announced his return when he made a three-pointer only 13 seconds into the game, and Dailey helped his team build a double-digit lead by making his first five shots.

“He was a backbreaker when it was still a game,” Cronin said. “He broke their back numerous times with his shots.”

Mara continued his role as an emerging fan favorite, spinning around Supreme Cook for a dunk and drawing a foul on him during Oregon’s next possession after Cook tried to push Mara out of the way for a rebound.

There was no stopping the big man, or his team, on a night everything came together.

“We’re getting better,” Dailey said, “and I think we’re going to peak at the right time.”