UCLA
0-0,0-0Big Ten
UC Irvine (exhibition)
0-0,0-0Big West
No. 12 Men's Basketball Takes Down UC Irvine, 94-64
October 28, 2025 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ Tyler Bilodeau scored 19 points and Donovan Dent added 16 points as the No. 12 UCLA men's basketball team defeated UC Irvine, 94-64, in an exhibition game at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial on Tuesday night.
UCLA returned home for its second of two preseason exhibition games on Tuesday, having secured a 67-60 win at San Diego State on Friday, Oct. 17. The Bruins never trailed against UC Irvine, and led by as many as 43 points (78-35), with 12:22 to go in the second half.
The Bruins took advantage of a 37-7 run from the 6:55 mark of the first half to the 16-minute point after halftime, opening up a 72-31 advantage.
Five Bruins finished in double figures (Tyler Bilodeau with 19, Donovan Dent with 16, Xavier Booker with 14, and Jamar Brown and Skyy Clark with 13).
ย
Bilodeau led the way with 19 points, eight rebounds and two assists, connecting on all three of his 3-point field goal attempts. Dent added 16 points and eight assists, while Xavier Booker chipped in with 14 points and six rebounds. Skyy Clark added 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field in 16 minutes. Jamar Brown recorded a double-double with 13 points and a team-best 10 rebounds.
ย
"Obviously, I was happy to get a lot of guys minutes," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "It was no use playing Donny [Dent] in the second half โ I had to play him the whole first half because the other two guys kept fouling. He got enough out of tonight, and the chance to get Trent [Perry] a lot of minutes. He's a young guy, he's still good, and he's got to learn he's not going to make the NBA in one night. He puts too much pressure on himself. He is going to be a great player โ he wants to play well so bad. That's a good thing. You can deal with a guy who cares too much. It's the guys who don't care that will get you fired. Trent cares, so it's good to get him a lot of minutes, You've got to realize you're going to have nights."
Brandon Williams pushed the Bruins' point total to 90 with a smooth mid-range jumper with 3:33 to go. Williams finished the game with seven points, seven rebounds and one block
Jamar Brown halted UC Irvine's 7-0 run, midway through the second half, by corralling UCLA's 19th offensive rebound with under 10 minutes left and put home the layup. Trent Perry, on UCLA's next possession, grabbed the team's 20th offensive board before Brown sank another basket. That sequence pushed the Bruins' advantage to 82-45 with 8:06 to play.
UCLA's largest lead of the contest came with 12:22 remaining in the game, when Steven Jamerson II sank a free throw to put the Bruins up 43 points, 78-35.ย
The Bruins carried their momentum from the first half into the second half of action. From the 6:55 mark in the first half to the 15:58 point in the second half, UCLA outscored UC Irvine 37-7 and took a 72-31 lead.
UCLA led at halftime, 58-27, after having closed the half on a 36-9 run over the final 9:06. During that run, Bilodeau recorded 12 points, including a pair of threes. The Bruins finished the half shooting 58% from the field and were 6-for-11 from bonus distance.
Bilodeau sank a corner three to push the Bruin advantage to 15, 28-13, with 10:27 left in the half. Booker added a turnaround jumper to extend the advantage to a first-half high of 17 points, 30-13, at the 9:22 mark.
Mick Cronin's defense came to play throughout the first half, holding the Anteaters scoreless for over four minutes midway through the half. During that stretch, UCLA went on an 11-0 run and extended the lead to 23-12 with 11:03 to go in the period.
Dent scored on all four of his field goal attempts in the game's opening eight minutes. He did not play in the second half, finishing the night with 16 points, eight assists and two rebounds.
UCLA's regular season will get underway on Monday, Nov. 3, as the Bruins host Eastern Washington at Pauley Pavilion. Game time that night is set for 7:30 p.m. (PT).
ย
