LOS ANGELES – Eric Dailey Jr. scored a team-leading 25 points, connecting on his first four 3-pointers, to lead the No. 22 UCLA men’s basketball team past California Baptist, 100-53, in an exhibition game on Wednesday night.
Playing in their first of two home exhibition games, the Bruins jumped ahead of California Baptist by a 15-4 margin in the game’s first 14:05 and never looked back. Dailey Jr. nailed a 3-pointer and Jaylen Petty knocked down a triple to push UCLA ahead, 21-6, inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial.
UCLA led California Baptist at halftime, 54-22. The Bruins’ lead was never in doubt in the second half, as UCLA’s cushion swelled to as many as 50 points in the game’s final two minutes.
“Obviously, we had the talent advantage tonight,” said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach. “Our guys did a great job of ignoring that and putting forth maximum effort, trying to get better. We were better at our defensive effort, better at our communication, smarter defense. Our rebounding was elite, plus 28. We had some shot selection I thought we’ve got to improve on – shooting 45 percent here, in this game, it’s going to equate to about 37 percent against Arizona. It’s the hardest thing. It's like the final frontier in coaching, getting guys to get to the next advantage and hunt for layups and open shots.”
Dailey Jr. shot 9-for-13 overall, sinking 7 of 9 attempts from 3-point range in the exhibition win.
Nikola Kusturica displayed his versatility, logging 10 points and eight rebounds, along with team-highs in assists (six), steals (five) and blocks (two). The 6-foot-9 guard/forward from Serbia was 4-for-4 from the free throw line and played nearly 24 minutes.
Dailey Jr. (25 points) and Kusturica (10 points) were two of six UCLA players to have scored in double figures. Rounding out that list included freshman Joe Philon III (13 points), Petty (12 points), Filip Jović (10 points) and Azavier Robinson (10 points).
Kusturica, Philon III, Petty, Jović and Robinson were all making their debut in a Bruins’ uniform.
Following Wednesday night’s preseason tune-up, Dailey Jr. complimented the team’s freshmen on their motivation, desire to improve, and team-first mindset.
“Their heart – these two guys are really tough,” Dailey Jr. said in reference to Philon III and Kusturica on stage at the postgame press conference. “All of the freshmen we’ve got this season, they are tough. These two guys up here with me, they’re about the team. That’s the most important thing. I mean, that is what you want with players who come into the program. They are about the right things and that’s the most important thing.”
Bruins fans will have another opportunity to catch UCLA’s 2026-27 team in action next week, with the second of two preseason exhibition contests. UCLA will take on the University of San Diego (USD) on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Next Tuesday’s exhibition contest will begin at 7 p.m. (PT) and will be streamed live through Big Ten Plus (B1G+).
UCLA’s regular-season will get underway against No. 5 Arizona in Las Vegas the night of Monday, Nov. 2. The Bruins will take on Arizona in a men’s college basketball doubleheader at T-Mobile Arena (Purdue faces Gonzaga, followed by UCLA and Arizona at 7 p.m., PT).
The Bruins’ first home regular-season contest is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, against North Florida. UCLA’s complete schedule is available by clicking here. Tickets to each of UCLA’s remaining 19 home contests are available here.