Ucla Dominates Rival Usc To Secure Double Bye In Big Ten Tournament

On Saturday night, nan UCLA men’s hoops squad showed why it has go a fastener for nan NCAA tourney and its crosstown rival USC is each but retired of contention.

Led by a ascendant 25-point, seven-assist capacity from prima defender Donovan Dent, nan Bruins dismantled nan Trojans 89-68 astatine nan location Galen Center, pushing some teams further down nan paths they person been connected nan past 2 weeks. Dent’s 25 points tied for nan 2nd astir he has scored successful a crippled this season.

With nan win, UCLA secured nan No. 6 seed successful nan Big Ten tourney and a corresponding bye done nan first 2 rounds.

A fewer weeks ago, some teams were sitting successful nan bubble. UCLA (21-10, 13-7) has been hot, pulling down wins against classed opponents Illinois and Nebraska, while USC (18-13, 7-13 Big Ten) went connected a seven-game slide, including large losses to nan Huskers and Illini and 2 much to nan Bruins.

Now, some teams will caput to nan Big Ten tourney pinch other momentum and very different stakes, though immoderate number of wins for UCLA can’t wounded its seeding travel Selection Sunday.

Early on, Saturday’s title looked for illustration it would beryllium a overmuch person affair. USC, without apical scorer Chad Baker-Mazara, who was dismissed earlier this week, tied nan crippled up six times earlier UCLA took power pinch a 13-1 tally midway done nan first half.

Bruin guardant Tyler Bilodeau was particularly important during UCLA’s early crippled run, scoring each 16 of his points connected 70% shooting from nan section successful nan first half. He added 8 rebounds.

The Bruins dominated wrong and connected nan perimeter, outrebounding USC 37-26 and shooting a mixed 53% from 3-point range. UCLA’s breadstuff and food connected Saturday, though, were nan galore contested mid-range jump shots, which were made astatine an awesome clip, particularly by Dent.

UCLA enjoyed beardown instrumentality support connected nan road, pinch nan group Men of Westwood paying for buses that transported 1,000 fans to Galen Center.

The Bruins changeable a ascendant 58% from nan field, good outdoing nan coagulated 43% for nan Trojans. Dent unsocial made 8-of-11 shots successful nan 2nd half.

While nan Bruins astatine points struggled to incorporate USC prima freshman Alijah Arenas, who ended nan nighttime pinch 20 points, he wasn’t fixed overmuch thief arsenic Ezra Ausar, Kam Woods and Jordan Marsh — immoderate of nan Trojans different apical scoring options — sewage into foul problem pinch astatine slightest 3 apiece and had to limit their aggressiveness. Arenas vanished pinch 3 fouls, while Ausar fouled out, he was USC’s second-leading scorer pinch a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Besides Bilodeau and Dent, Eric Dailey Jr. scored 19 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, Eric Freeny scored 10 and Treny Perry added 8 points and 4 assists. Guard Skyy Clark, who missed 10 convention games while recovering from a hamstring injury, struggled offensively, missing each 5 shots from nan field.