How Dent Broke Out in Upset Victory Over Purdue

Dent scored 23 points and notched 13 assists in the win

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3), guard Trent Perry (0), guard Donovan Dent (2) and forward Xavier Booker (1) celebrate after a 3-point basket by forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) in the final seconds of the game against the Purdue Boilermakers in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It’s been a struggle for Donovan Dent this season. Once a prized transfer portal acquisition, he has had a hard time adjusting to the Big Ten. However, he picked the perfect time to break out for UCLA.

Dent had the best game he has had as a Bruin in their 69-67 upset win over #4 Purdue. Dent had 23 points, and a season-best 13 assists to go along with 3 blocks in the win, looking more like the version of himself that most college basketball fans have grown accustomed to.

Dent entered the matchup averaging just 12.4 points per game on career-lows from the field (41 percent), and from three-point range (15 percent), a significant fall from when he averaged over 20 points per game on elite efficiency with New Mexico last season. 

The win was not only beneficial to Dent, but to UCLA as a whole. The win helped push the Bruins to a 5-3 record in conference play up to this point, and gave them their undisputed best win of the season. 

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) drives past Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Dent’s thoughts

After the game, Dent talked about his breakout performance, and the impact it could have going forward.

• [Head coach Mick Cronin] got on me pretty bad after that Ohio State game,” Dent said. “He challenged me personally, mentally, every way possible, he was challenging me this whole week. I think that’s the response he wanted right there.”

• “I think that’s why they recruited me here,” Dent continued. “That’s how I should be playing, I’ve been in a slump for a while. My team still believes in me, coach Cronin challenged me so bad this week, and it was what I really needed. I think I responded pretty well.”

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) is defended by UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Dent is hopeful that their big win over Purdue can be the start of the turnaround that UCLA has needed for quite a while.

• “I mean, two of our earlier losses to Gonzaga and Arizona, I feel like we were in the game just as much. We know how good of a team we have. It’s just which one of us shows up that night,” Dent said. 

After their best win of this season, the Bruins will look to carry this newfound momentum into the rest of their Big Ten schedule. Knocking off a top 5 team in the country has certainly caught the attention of the rest of the conference, and with the amount of talent on the team, UCLA can’t be counted out just yet. 

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