UCLA made a statement Tuesday night, taking down USC 81-62 in front of a packed Pauley Pavilion. This wasn’t just any game as the Bruins needed this win to boost their NCAA Tournament chances, and they delivered. Senior guard Donovan Dent went off, putting up a career-high and leading UCLA past their crosstown rivals for the first time this season. That’s five wins in the last six games for the Bruins. As for USC, things keep getting worse.
Donovan Dent Sets Pauley Pavilion On Fire
Donovan Dent stole the show last night. He put on a scoring clinic and racked up a career-best 30 points. Right from the jump, he looked locked in. 19 points just in the first half, and he couldn’t miss from deep, hitting five out of seven threes.
Dent’s night was historic, too. No Bruin has dropped 30 on USC since 2018, and his steady leadership is a big reason UCLA is back in the national spotlight. Chad Baker-Mazara did everything he could for the Trojans, pouring in 25, but he just didn’t get enough help. UCLA’s crisp passing and fast breaks were too much to handle.
NCAA Tournament Implications And The Road Ahead
For the Bruins (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten), this is about as good as it gets. They stumbled a bit earlier this month, but now they’ve won four out of their last five, and two of those came against Top-10 teams. Nobody really wants to see them at home either—their 16-1 record in Pauley Pavilion says it all. Heading into March, they look like one of the toughest teams in the conference.
On the other side, this loss hits hard for Eric Musselman’s Trojans (18-10, 7-10 Big Ten). USC has lost four straight, and the NCAA Tournament bubble is starting to look pretty thin. Only a handful of regular-season games are left, including a rematch with UCLA at home on March 7. At this point, the Trojans have to win if they want to keep their March Madness dreams alive.
