UCLAs

In his postgame interviews analyzing the play of his basketball team, UCLA coach Mick Cronin is spot on. The problem is that as the coach, his prime duty is to fix these identified shortcomings, not to blame his players for the mounting problems.

If NIL funds are lacking, discuss this with the wealthy donors. If the offense is to generate more points, he needs to devise a new scheme. Quality coaches are able to change their approaches on the fly. If Cronin is unable to get the Bruins back on the winning track, his status in Westwood needs to be reassessed. But I guess Martin Jarmond performed an assessment when he secretly extended Cronin’s contract.

Neal Rakov
Santa Fe, N.M.

The great John Wooden passed almost 16 years ago but he still watches UCLA from heaven. After Tuesday’s bad loss to Wisconsin he turned to his first Bruins athletic director, Wilbur Johns, and asked “Did we really give Mick Cronin a five-year extension?”

Fred Wallin
Westlake Village

IOWA CITY, Iowa — From an existential crisis to a gritty comeback, UCLA ran a gamut of emotions over the course of a few hours here.

The final sentiment was one of disappointment.

After whittling what had been a 24-point deficit to four with a little more than three minutes left Saturday, the Bruins could not find the miracle finish they were seeking.

Iowa won 74-61 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the No. 25 Hawkeyes holding off the Bruins by making the plays they needed over the final foul-filled minutes.

Iowa made all eight free throws down the stretch, the Bruins failing to get the stops they needed even with point guard Donovan Dent (25 points) putting on a dazzling offensive display.

After Iowa’s Tavion Banks went in for a dunk in transition to extend the lead back to double digits in the final minute, the Bruins’ comeback hopes were over. Iowa point guard Bennett Stirtz added a 30-foot three-pointer in the final seconds for good measure.

Even with a much better effort in the second half, UCLA (10-4 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) wasn’t nearly good enough on either end. The Bruins will need to decide if they want to continue to go with a small lineup after using one to spark their huge comeback.

After one of the worst first halves of the Mick Cronin era following a 10-day layoff, UCLA played as if it took a glance at the rally towels inside the arena featuring the slogan “Impose Your Will.”

The Bruins went on a 18-2 run early in the second half after going small, breaking out a full-court press in pockets and making seven of eight shots. Dent was in the middle of it all, snagging a steal that led to a Brandon Williams dunk, driving for a couple of layups and rising for a mid-range jumper.

UCLA guard Donovan Dent chases after the ball in front of Iowa’s Cam Manyawu, left, and Kael Combs during the first half Saturday.

(Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press)

When UCLA’s Trent Perry poked the ball away for a steal and went in for a layup in transition, the Bruins were within 47-42 with 10:44 left and Iowa’s only move was to call a timeout. But a big issue loomed for UCLA as guard Skyy Clark had gone to the bench with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game.

Stirtz finished with 27 points for the Hawkeyes (12-2, 2-1), who shot 46.8% to UCLA’s 44.6%.

The first half couldn’t have gone much worse for the Bruins.

It all started with an inability to finish at the rim. There were two Tyler Bilodeau misses at point-blank range — including a dunk — a Xavier Booker layup that was blocked and a Dent lob that was deflected and stolen. And that was just in the first five minutes.

Equally atrocious was the Bruins’ defense, players leaving the perimeter open on drive-and-dishes that led to a flurry of three-pointers.

Cronin was so disgusted with his team down by 23 points late in the half that he took off his suit jacket and lit into Perry during a timeout. UCLA went on to score the final five points of the half … and still trailed 40-22.

UCLA arrived here facing questions about its big men, its defense and its rebounding.

After opening the season as the starting power forward, Bilodeau had increasingly shifted back to center in recent games as part of a three-guard lineup. The move provided a clear advantage on the offensive end, where Bilodeau could outmaneuver slower counterparts, while not giving up anything on defense given the struggles of Booker and ongoing foul trouble of Steven Jamerson.

More troublesome for the Bruins was a defense that ranked among the worst of Cronin’s seven seasons in Westwood. Most of the problems have come around the rim, UCLA providing little resistance on the easiest of shots. The Bruins also entered the game ranked third-to-last in the Big Ten in rebounding.

None of those problems were solved Saturday, leaving the Bruins to contemplate further changes.

Facing an overmatched opponent that allowed him to freely tinker with his lineups, UCLA coach Mick Cronin tried plenty of mixing and matching Tuesday afternoon.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway was that a three-guard lineup might be the way to go after the continued struggles of centers Xavier Booker and Steven Jamerson II.

“We’ve got to find a way to play our best players and win, whoever they are, because it’s not Little League,” Cronin said after his team’s 97-65 victory over UC Riverside at Pauley Pavilion. “You’ve either got to give us some rebounding and defense or somebody else has got to play.”

The leading candidates for a larger role based on what happened against the Highlanders appear to be reserves Trent Perry, Jamar Brown and Brandon Williams.

Perry was a playmaking force with his scoring and smart passes. Brown did a little bit of everything in an energetic fashion. Williams showed plenty of toughness as the second big man in small lineups also featuring Tyler Bilodeau, who was an offensive juggernaut against a team that provided little defensive resistance.

“The biggest thing I care about is winning,” said Bilodeau, who finished with a career-high 34 points while making 12 of 19 shots to go with six rebounds. “So whatever we need to do to get that done.”

Cronin joked afterward that Bilodeau shouldn’t have missed any shots because he needlessly took fadeaway jumpers.

“They don’t double [team],” Cronin said of the Highlanders, “so I said, ‘Buddy, you’ve got one night here where they’re just going to let you keep dribbling until you shoot, so go have fun. Keep going at the rim until you score.’ ”

Guard Skyy Clark added 14 points to help UCLA (10-3) post its third consecutive victory going into an extended winter break. Forward Osiris Grady finished with 20 points for the Highlanders (6-8), who shot 42.6% to the Bruins’ 50%.

The game’s biggest revelations came off the UCLA bench. Perry might have been the biggest, running the offense at a high level while finishing with 14 points, seven assists and zero turnovers in 24 minutes. Cronin went with some lineups in the second half featuring Perry alongside starting point guard Donovan Dent (seven points and three assists in 19 minutes).

“Three-guard lineup, we’ve been pushing in transition a lot more,” Perry said. “I mean, we’re just finding the groove before Big Ten” play.

Brown contributed across the board, tallying four points, seven rebounds and four steals in 24 minutes.

UCLA guard Skyy Clark drives against UC Riverside guard De’Undrae Perteete Jr. during the Bruins’ win on Tuesday.

(Jan Lim / UCLA Athletics)

“A tremendous portal find,” Cronin said of the transfer from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “Great toughness. He’s a winning player.”

Williams’ biggest factor was his defense during a performance in which he had three points, one rebound and one steal in 18 minutes. The big question was whether he was providing more than the player whose spot he took.

Booker finished with six points and one rebound in 13 minutes, unfurling a second consecutive subpar showing after being limited to three minutes against Cal Poly because of matchups. Jamerson played only seven choppy minutes, once being yanked after an 11-second stint because of an inability to keep the Highlanders from reaching the rim with ease.

“Got to get better,” Cronin said of his centers. “I just talked to them about that.”

UC Riverside repeatedly made the mistake of leaving Bilodeau open in the first half and the forward made the Highlanders regret their decision by making five of nine shots on the way to 13 points. After having been UCLA’s primary center last year, Bilodeau said he was happy to go back to that role if that’s what his coach needed.

“Tyler would probably tell you he gets more open shots when he’s playing the five,” Cronin said, “because the other team’s five man is guarding him.”

Cronin said the issue that arises when going small is the need to be an elite offensive team — territory the Bruins might be approaching. Their offensive efficiency is ranked No. 27 nationally by the metrics of basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy, their best since they were No. 21 during the 2022-23 season that ended in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament after season-ending injuries to Jaylen Clark and Adem Bona.

If this is the best version of the Bruins, Cronin appeared ready to roll with it.

“All that matters is who you become, not in the last game or the game previous to that, so we’re on a search,” Cronin said. “Just like every team, it’s not who you are now, it’s who you are at the end and can you get enough wins along the way?”

UCLA had just put on a dazzling offensive display when a help-wanted sign went up in the postgame news conference.

The search for assistance came from a coach who knows his team can score but will need a lot better effort on the other side of the ball to get to where it wants to go this season.

“My biggest challenge with this team,” Mick Cronin said after the Bruins needed an epic scoring surge in the second half to post a relief of a 108-87 victory over Cal Poly, “is finding a guy or two or three that their mind is on defense.”

Nobody filled that role Friday night during a first half that led to scattered boos serenading the Bruins on their way to the locker room inside Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA was trailing by two points after putting in a low effort and playing just a sprinkling of defense against a mid-major team with a losing record from the Big West Conference.

The Cal Poly logo on the front of the opponents’ jerseys did not elicit the same sort of spirited effort the Bruins had given against more brand-name foes, continuing a troubling trend going back to the season opener.

“I definitely think that’s fair to say,” UCLA guard Skyy Clark said after notching a season-high 30 points while making six of 10 three-pointers and becoming the first Bruin in school history to make at least six three-pointers in back-to-back games. “That’s just something we gotta harp on as a team.”

The Bruins could exhale after going with a smaller lineup that produced 65 points in the second half, the most in a half by UCLA since it splurged for 66 in the second half against George Mason on Dec. 22, 1994.

But plenty of worries linger, most of them on the defensive end for a team that has given up an average of 78.2 points over its last six games.

This was another case of UCLA simply outgunning an opponent, the Bruins shooting 57.4% to Cal Poly’s 51% during a game in which defense was played only in spurts. How do the Bruins explain giving up 45 points in the first half?

“We’ve got too many guys who are conscientious objectors defensively,” Cronin said. “And if I can’t get those guys to quit protesting — they don’t say anything, but until they really believe that’s the way to win … ”

UCLA (9-3) prevailed only after Cronin went with a three-guard lineup, replacing center Xavier Booker with Jamar Brown to start the second half in an effort to combat the Mustangs’ drive-and-kick offense that stationed practically everyone behind the three-point line. With a more mobile lineup, the Bruins proceeded to go on a 15-0 run to transform a two-point deficit into a 60-47 lead, removing any doubt about the game’s outcome.

Clark continued his recent scoring spree and received plenty of help from forward Tyler Bilodeau (24 points and eight rebounds) and point guard Donovan Dent (16 points, 11 assists and five steals) as the Bruins notched a second consecutive victory.

UCLA guard Donovan Dent, center, dribbles past Cal Poly guards Guzman Vasilic, left, and Kieran Elliott to score during the second half Friday night.

(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

Cayden Ward scored 21 points for Cal Poly (5-8), which had been given a 2% chance of winning, according to the metrics of basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy.

By the game’s midpoint, the possibility of a massive upset had crept uncomfortably upward for UCLA.

Giving up open shots as part of a lackluster defensive effort wasn’t nearly the worst of it for the Bruins.

Trent Perry twice fouled a three-point shooter, once prompting Cronin to yell, “Get over here!” after Perry sent Cayden Ward to the free-throw line for three shots. A new low came late in the first half when Brown fouled Hamad Mousa on a three-pointer that went in, Mousa making the free throw to complete a four-point play.

“Buddy, it’s the worst play in basketball, and I’ve gone literally years with that happening zero times,” Cronin said. “Nobody coaches that more than me. You are not allowed to foul a jump shooter if you play for me, never. Never. If you’re that close, that means the shot is contested. You could deduce that, right? So I don’t care if he makes it, he’s taking a contested shot. Jumping toward the guy, you’re going to land in his space.”

Brown was immediately replaced by Perry, whose defensive inattentiveness quickly reemerged when Ward beat him off the dribble for a one-handed dunk. Things improved considerably the rest of the way. Cronin said he continued to be pleased with Clark’s defense and was satisfied with the second-half effort of forward Eric Dailey Jr., who limited Mousa to only two of his 14 points after halftime.

Cronin suggested that he wanted this team to prioritize defense the way the Bruins did after halftime of their victory over Michigan State in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA tournament, which sparked a flurry of lockdown efforts leading to five consecutive wins.

“From that point on, it took a halfcourt shot to stop us from trying to win the title,” Cronin said, alluding to Jalen Suggs’ buzzer-beater in a national semifinal. “But if that wouldn’t have changed, we weren’t going anywhere, so you just keep trying to stay relentless with it.”

How does Cronin get his team to make that change?

“You play the guys who will do what you tell them to do,” Cronin said. “If you play guys who are conning you with their effort defensively, not only are you going to lose, then the other guys will start doing it because they think you’re a fraud because you’re playing them anyway.”

Applications are being accepted. The next opportunity to fill a heightened role comes Tuesday against UC Riverside.

From Ben Bolch: The crowd couldn’t believe what it had just witnessed.

Donovan Dent’s crossover move left a helpless defender watching from behind as he accelerated toward the basket, fans unleashing audible admiration even before the UCLA point guard completed the play with a driving layup.

Poor Noah Meeusen and everyone else who tried to stop Dent.

They were overmatched by the finishing ability and fearlessness of a player who had not shown much of either over the season’s first month, hardly resembling the star the Bruins thought they were getting.

On a revelation of a Wednesday night inside Pauley Pavilion, Dent finally looked like someone who could carry a team.

He did exactly that, the transfer from New Mexico helping the Bruins fend off Arizona State during a 90-77 victory that had his handprints all over it.

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UCLA box score

Big Ten standings

USC WINS AT HOME BUT LOSES RICE

From Ryan Kartje: Through a near-perfect nonconference slate, no matter what was thrown USC’s way, whether injuries or other unforeseen circumstances, the Trojans had never lacked for life on the court. It was that endless energy that had helped power them to a 10-1 start.

But for a while Wednesday, that vigor was conspicuously absent against Texas San Antonio, a team that lost four of its last five. Maybe it was the setting, in a mostly empty and eerily quiet Galen Center. Maybe it was the bad news from earlier in the day, as USC announced that point guard Rodney Rice would undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Whatever it was, USC was eventually able to shake it off Wednesday night, turning a deficit late in the first half to a convincing, 97-70 victory over San Antonio in the second.

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USC box score

Big Ten standings

UCLA-USC TRANSFER TRACKER

From Ben Bolch and Ryan Kartje: A look at all the players who are transferring in and out of UCLA and USC in the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2026 college football season.

Wednesday’s updates:

Leaving UCLA: Salem Abdul-Wahab | Long Snapper

Leaving USC: Devan Thompkins | Defensive tackle

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LAKERS DEFENSE NEEDS STAR POWER

From Broderick Turner: They saw how “contagious” it was when playing defense at a high level against the Suns and how Jarred Vanderbilt lit the fuse to ignite things for the Lakers in their last victory over Phoenix.

And for the Lakers to maintain that defensive mindset, stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James also have to be committed to that end of the court.

That was the message from Lakers coach JJ Redick to Doncic and James.

“Yeah, it was good,” Doncic said. “We talked about a lot, not just that, but he was right. You got to get a little big more, especially from the star players. So that’s on us. That’s on me. And we just got to give more, especially at the start of the game. We got to start the game better. But I think in Phoenix, we did a pretty good job. The plan was focused on ourselves and [our] defensive mentality, so I think we did a pretty good job.”

The Lakers will be tested again on defense by the Utah Jazz Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

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NBA standings

A CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM DONCIC

From Broderick Turner: Luka Doncic was back at it again, this time surprising the Lakers and staff members with more than 100 e-bikes for Christmas gifts.

Doncic, who took his teammates to a Porsche Driving Experience in October as a way to bond, gave the gifts away Tuesday after practice.

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NACUA CALLS FOUL ON REFS

From Chuck Schilken: Puka Nacua thinks NFL referees are “the worst.”

He feels they fabricate calls just so their friends can see them on TV.

But, to be honest, the Rams star receiver doesn’t seem too upset about the situation.

During a livestream Tuesday with YouTubers N3on and Adin Ross, Nacua was asked if he thought referees might bend the truth at times when making their calls.

“Oh, a hundred percent,” Nacua answered matter-of-factly. “Yes, the refs are the worst.”

The third-year player continued in the same casual manner, saying that NFL officials are generally part-time employees who probably get a thrill when they appear on screen during national broadcasts — even if it’s while making a call.

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MCVAY, RAMS FACE A CHALLENGE IN SEATTLE

From Gary Klein: Sean McVay might truly qualify as sleepless in Seattle.

After the Rams’ victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Rams coach left SoFi Stadium for the hospital and the birth of his second son, who arrived Monday morning. Then McVay game-planned for Thursday night’s showdown with the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.

Asked this week if he had slept much in the aftermath of the newborn’s arrival, the notoriously early-rising McVay chuckled.

“Not really,” he said. “Even for me. … This is a good challenge.”

McVay and the Rams, who hold the top seed in the NFC and have clinched a playoff spot, will face their biggest and most important test of the season against the Seahawks.

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NFL standings

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT RAMS VS. SEAHAWKS

From Gary Klein: Kamren Kinchens loves to play against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Rams’ second-year safety has six career interceptions — four against the Seahawks.

On Thursday night, the Rams (11-3) will play the Seahawks (11-3) at Lumen Field with first-place in the NFC West and the top seed in the NFC on the line.

The Rams defense is aiming to repeat their Nov. 16 performance against the Seahawks, when they intercepted four passes by Sam Darnold in a 21-19 victory at SoFi Stadium.

Kinchens had two interceptions, cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Darious Williams one each.

“I did good so are they going to not go at me at this time?” Kinchens said, adding that he welcomes the opportunity to “get more picks. Hopefully, that’s the case.”

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HALFTIME WITH SNOOP DOGG

From Chuck Schilken: Snoop Dogg knows what you want for Christmas.

More Snoop Dogg.

The rapper and pop culture icon will perform during the halftime show at the Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings game in Minneapolis on Dec. 25 as part of Netflix’s NFL Christmas Gameday streaming event.

Dubbed “Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party,” the show will feature hit songs, special guests and holiday cheer, Netflix said in a news release.

“NFL, Netflix and your uncle Snoop on Christmas Day? We’re servin’ up music, love and good vibes for the whole world to enjoy,” Snoop Dogg said in the news release. “That’s the kind of holiday magic Santa can’t fit in a bag.”

On Tuesday, Netflix dropped an announcement video for the halftime show. In what may or may not be a hint at the identity of one of the special guests, funk legend George Clinton narrates the clip. At one point, the Parliament-Funkadelic leader utters, “bow wow wow, yippie yo yippie yay” — a line from his 1982 solo hit “Atomic Dog” that Snoop has used in multiple songs.

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CRAWFORD IS LEAVING THE RING

From Jad El Reda: Terence Crawford shook the boxing world on Tuesday by announcing his retirement, an unexpected decision that brings an end to one of the most dominant careers of the modern era.

At 38, the Omaha native decided to hang up his gloves at the top, undefeated and with a legacy that places him among the all-time greats.

Crawford bids farewell with a perfect record of 42 wins, 31 of them by knockout, after more than 17 years as a professional. With his unexpected retirement, Crawford leaves behind four titles in the 168-pound weight class.

“I’m retiring from competition, not because I’ve stopped fighting, but because I’ve won another kind of battle,” Crawford said in a YouTube video. “The battle where you retire on your own terms.”

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KINGS GO WINLESS FOR FOUR

Sam Bennett scored 10 seconds into the third period, Brad Marchand had two assists and the Florida Panthers beat the Kings 3-2 on Wednesday night to sweep the two-game season series.

Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe also scored for Florida, which has won six of its last seven games. Daniil Tarasov made 27 saves for the Panthers, including a breakaway stop against the Kings’ Trevor Moore with just under five minutes left to preserve a one-goal lead.

Joel Armia and Kevin Fiala had the goals for the Kings, who fell to 0-2-2 in their last four contests. The four-game winless streak matches a season-long slide for the Kings, who were 0-2-2 from Oct. 11 through Oct. 18 as well.

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Kings summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1930 — Adolph Rupp coaches his first game at Kentucky, a 67-19 win over Georgetown College in Kentucky. Rupp retires in 1972 after winning 879 games and four national titles.

1949 — The Philadelphia Eagles win the NFL championship with a 14-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

1954 — Montreal’s Maurice Richard becomes the first player in NHL history to score 400 goals during the Canadiens’ 4-2 road victory against the Chicago Black Hawks.

1961 — Olympic track star Wilma Rudolph wins The Associated Press’ female athlete of year award for the second consecutive year.

1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scores 61 points in a 130-110 over the St. Louis Hawks.

1964 — Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals scores 56 points, including 18 in the final quarter, in a 111-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

1976 — Oakland quarterback Kenny Stabler scores with 14 seconds left to give the Raiders a 24-21 comeback victory over the New England Patriots in the in the AFC divisional playoffs.

1983 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores his 100th point of the season the Edmonton Oilers’ 34th game, a 7-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Gretzky scores two goals and has two assists to get to 100 points faster than any player in NHL history. He finishes the season with 205 points.

1995 — Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers records the fifth-highest yardage total by a receiver in NFL history with 289 yards, and catches three touchdown passes in a 37-30 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

1997 — Germany’s Katja Seizinger wins her sixth straight race to tie former French star Jean-Claude Killy’s World Cup record for consecutive victories.

2005 — Indianapolis, which won its first 13 games, the fourth team in NFL history to do so, loses 26-17 at home to San Diego.

2006 — Tenth-ranked Arizona State beats Texas Tech 61-45 when the second outdoor game in women’s college basketball history is called on account of rain with 4:18 to play at Chase Field, home of baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks.

2007 — Edmonton sets an NHL record by competing in its fourth straight shootout, but loses to Dallas 2-1. The Oilers, who had won the first three, lose for the second time in their 12 shootout appearances.

2008 — Steve Asmussen is the first North American trainer to win 600 Thoroughbred races in a single year as Storm Trust captures the fifth race at Delta Downs.

2011 — The Green Bay Packers’ 19-game winning streak, second-longest in NFL history, is snapped with a 19-14 loss at Kansas City.

2011 — Brittney Griner scores 12 of her 25 points in the closing run that pushes the top-ranked Baylor Lady Bears past No. 2 UConn 66-61.

2016 — New England defeats Denver 16-3 to clinch the AFC East and earn a first-round bye. It marks the eighth consecutive division title for the Patriots, the longest streak in NFL history, breaking a tie with the 1973-79 Los Angeles Rams (seven). New England is the only team in NFL history to win 13 division titles in a 14-year span.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The crowd couldn’t believe what it had just witnessed.

Donovan Dent’s crossover move left a helpless defender watching from behind as he accelerated toward the basket, fans unleashing audible admiration even before the UCLA point guard completed the play with a driving layup.

Poor Noah Meeusen and everyone else who tried to stop Dent.

They were overmatched by the finishing ability and fearlessness of a player who had not shown much of either over the season’s first month, hardly resembling the star the Bruins thought they were getting.

On a revelation of a Wednesday night inside Pauley Pavilion, Dent finally looked like someone who could carry a team.

He did exactly that, the transfer from New Mexico helping the Bruins fend off Arizona State during a 90-77 victory that had his handprints all over it.

There were blow-by layups, floaters, a rare three-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play on a jumper he threw up while getting fouled and falling down along the baseline. Dent unveiled a full array of moves on the way to scoring 20 points while making nine of 17 shots.

Dent’s understudy also came up huge. After the Sun Devils made things uncomfortably close midway through the second half, pulling to within five points, UCLA reserve guard Trent Perry made sure they would get no closer.

Perry rose for a three-pointer and then after teammate Brandon Williams made an energizing block at the rim, triggering a fast break, Perry found Skyy Clark for a three-pointer that extended the Bruins’ advantage to double digits.

Clark finished with 18 points on the strength of six three-pointers and Tyler Bilodeau added 18 points to help UCLA (8-3) bounce back from its loss to Gonzaga by holding off an old Pac-12 rival. Guard Anthony Johnson led Arizona State (9-3) with 20 points.

Dent’s final highlight came on a pass in transition to an open Clark, who rose for a three-pointer that gave UCLA a 12-point lead. In perhaps the only blemish on his night, Dent logged just four assists to go with his four turnovers.

It was an ensemble performance for the Bruins. UCLA coach Mick Cronin inserted backup center Steven Jamerson into his lineup to start the second half and Jamerson quickly rewarded him by chasing down an offensive rebound in the corner and adding two putback dunks.

But the big story was one of redemption.

It picked up momentum late in the first half when Dent rose without hesitation for a three-pointer. It was only Dent’s second made three-pointer of the season and his first since the season opener after a string of 12 consecutive misses dropped his accuracy from beyond the arc to 7.7%.

It was a stunning dropoff for someone who had made 40.9% of his three-pointers last season at New Mexico. His second make of the season from long distance increased his accuracy to 14.3%, still unsightly but at least no longer in single digits.

What was perhaps most pleasing about Dent’s performance in the first half was his heightened confidence level. He repeatedly beat his defender for driving layups, his aggressiveness an equal asset to his speed in rolling up 13 points on six-for-eight shooting by the game’s midpoint.