Instant Reactions from UCLA’s Tough Win Over San Diego

The Bruins took care of business in their last exhibition of the season.

Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA head coach Mick Cronin yells at his players during the 1st half against the Illinois Illini at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In UCLA's final exhibition match of the season, the Bruins took care of business against a tough San Diego team at home, winning 82-50.

While UCLA got the result they wanted, this game proved there's still some work to do before the season opener in less than a week.

Strong Number of Offensive Options

One of the biggest takeaways from UCLA’s win over San Diego is the abundance of offensive options that the Bruins possess. Last week we saw Eric Dailey Jr. emerge as the leading scorer for this team. With him seemingly struggling on offense with 6 points while shooting 14.3 percent, it provided an opportunity for other players on the roster to step up.

Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) shoots against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was Trent Perry’s night offensively, with the help of sixth man Filip Jovic. Both Bruins found double-digit scoring in the win, and it highlighted that just about everyone on this roster can have a night offensively. Perry led the team with 17 points, shooting 4-for-7 from the field with 7 made free throws, and Jovic ended with 16 points on 3-of-5 shooting with 10 free throws.

Moving forward, based on the depth of offensive options, I wouldn’t be surprised to see just about every player lead this team in scoring for at least one night this season.

Inefficient Start For UCLA

It was a tough first half shooting the basketball for UCLA. The Bruins only shot 33.3% in the first half, as there were simply many shots that would not fall UCLA’s way. San Diego played tough defense all night, and potentially made life a lot more difficult than UCLA was expecting heading into the matchup.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) shoots the ball against the UConn Huskies in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The inefficiency in the first half heavily impacted Eric Dailey Jr., who scored 25 points a week ago. Dailey Jr. went scoreless from the field in the first half, shooting 0-for-4 from the field and 0-for-2 from three. Overall, it was a slow start on both ends for the Bruins. San Diego played with a ton of hustle and pace to begin the game, and it clearly bothered UCLA.

Foul Trouble for Kusturica

We didn’t see a ton from freshman Nikola Kusturica against San Diego. Thanks to his early fouls, he only played 16 minutes in the exhibition match. As one of the most talented players on the floor, no matter the opponent, it will be crucial that Kusturica is able to remain disciplined enough to balance his aggression on defense without hurting his team by getting into foul trouble.

We saw Trent Perry in a similar situation last week, so it’s important that UCLA doesn’t hurt itself this season by making unnecessary fouls that hurt the team.