Trent Perry Scores 20 Points in UCLA’s Big Win Over No. 9 Nebraska

UCLA Men’s Basketball Team Shines on Senior Night Against No. 9 Nebraska

The UCLA men’s basketball team celebrated Senior Night with an impressive performance, defeating No. 9 Nebraska 72-52 at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday. This victory marked UCLA’s 20th win of the season and its third against a top-10 ranked opponent.

With this win, the Bruins improved to 20-10 overall and 12-7 in the Big Ten, heading into their final regular season game against crosstown rival USC on Saturday. Trent Perry led the team with 20 points, while Eric Dailey Jr. contributed 14. Three players—Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, and Xavier Booker—added eight points each.

Nebraska’s Sam Hoiberg was the standout for his team, scoring 12 points, but the Cornhuskers (25-5, 14-5) struggled to keep pace. UCLA maintained control throughout the game, never trailing after the initial tip-off. This victory also bolsters UCLA’s chances for an NCAA tournament berth, following previous wins over then-No. 4 Purdue and then-No. 10 Illinois in January and February, respectively.

Coach Mick Cronin is seeing success in his seventh season at the helm, with this being the fifth time the Bruins have secured 20 or more wins. At home, the Bruins hold a remarkable record of 17-1, their only loss coming in overtime against Indiana.

UCLA surged ahead by 15 points with Perry’s three-pointer late in the first half, leading 37-24 at the break. The team showcased strong shooting, hitting 50% of their field goals in the first half compared to Nebraska’s 31%.

The Bruins extended their lead to 18 points early in the second half following a dunk by Dailey, and Nebraska never came within nine points of the lead for the remainder of the game.

Prior to the game, UCLA honored its seniors, including Bilodeau, Dent, and Clark, alongside fifth-year player Jamar Brown and several redshirt seniors. Midway through the first half, former coach Jim Harrick, who guided UCLA to its 11th national championship in 1995, was recognized and received a warm ovation.

Notably, Donovan Dent has recorded an impressive 46 assists with only two turnovers over the last four games. Bilodeau has scored in double figures in 26 of 28 games this season, while Dailey is now just five points shy of reaching the 1,000-career point milestone. Furthermore, UCLA has managed to sink at least one three-pointer in 887 of their last 888 games since February 2000.