Trent Perry has 20 points as UCLA routs No. 9 Nebraska
The UCLA men’s basketball team made Senior Night a night to savor Tuesday, dominating No. 9 Nebraska 72-52 at Pauley Pavilion for its 20th win of the season and third over a top-10 opponent.
The Bruins improved to 20-10 overall and 12-7 in the Big Ten with one regular-season game remaining Saturday at crosstown rival USC.
Trent Perry scored 20 points, Eric Dailey Jr. scored 14 and three players – Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark and Xavier Booker – each added eight points.
Sam Hoiberg had 12 points to lead Nebraska.
The Bruins were in control from the first game and never trailed the Cornhuskers (25-5, 14-5). UCLA improved to 10-3 all-time against Nebraska and the win significantly boosted its resume for an NCAA tournament berth as the Bruins also beat then-No. 4 Purdue 69-67 on January 20, then-No. 10 Illinois 95-94 in overtime Feb. 21 on Donovan Dent’s layup with one second left.
This is the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Mick Cronin that the Bruins have won 20 or more games. They are 17-1 at home (their only overtime loss to Indiana on January 31).
UCLA took a 15-point lead, 37-22, on Perry’s three-point basket with 2:41 left and led 37-24 at intermission. The Bruins shot 50 percent from the field in the first half (15 of 30), while Nebraska was just 31 percent (nine of 29).
The Bruins increased their advantage to 18 points on Dailey Jr.’s dunk less than five minutes into the second half and the visitors didn’t get closer than nine for the rest of the game.
Before pregame presentations, the Bruins honored seniors Bilodeau, Dent and Clark; fifth-year player Jamar Brown; redshirt seniors Steven Jamerson II, Jack Seidler and Anthony Peoples Jr; and redshirt junior Evan Manjikian. During a media timeout, midway through the first half, former coach Jim Harrick (who led UCLA to its 11th national championship in 1995) was honored and received a loud ovation.
UCLA guard Skyy Clark looks to pass under pressure from Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg and forward Berke Buyuktuncel in the second half.
(William Liang/Associated Press)
Over the last four games, Dent has 46 assists and just two turnovers.
Bilodeau scored in double figures in 26 of 28 games played, totaling 20 or more points on nine occasions.
Dailey came within five points of reaching the 1,000 career point mark.
UCLA has now made at least one three-pointer in 887 of 888 games dating back to February 2000.
