UCLA’s Perry Reacts to Career-Best Performance

Trent Perry was magnificent in UCLA’s 71-60 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions. The sophomore guard scored a career-high 30 points in the win.

Perry also added 4 assists, and 3 rebounds to his line on the day. Perry is now averaging 11.5 points per game this season, shooting 47 percent from the floor, and 40 percent from three-point range.

The performance was not only his first 30-point game of his career, but also his first 20-point performance, as his previous career-high was 17 points. Perry has scored 15 or more points in each of UCLA’s last three contests after his 30-point showing.

Perry’s thoughts

After the best game of his collegiate career, Perry spoke with the media about his career-defining performance.

Jan 14, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Ivan Juric (3) defends as UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) shoots the ball during the first half at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

“I’m just grateful for my teammates for trusting me, my coaches for trusting me, and I’m just glad we got on the road and got a win,” Perry said.

“Just saying confident,” Perry added regarding his recent scoring outbursts. “My parents, and coaches, both of them, they’ve been preaching just stay confident, things are going to come your way, keep playing defense, keep being enthusiastic, and the offense will come. That’s what happened tonight.”

Perry's big game was carried by his second-half performance. He scored 22 of his 30 points in the second-half, and knocked down 4 three-pointers.

“Just taking what the defense gives me,” Perry said. “Just fortunate that it was coming my way, and I was able to execute.”

Jan 14, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) dribbles the ball as Penn State Nittany Lions guard Dominick Stewart (7) defends during the first half at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

His performance helped push the Bruins to a 4-2 record in Big Ten play so far, as they look to find their footing in conference play. After an inconsistent start to the season, the Bruins might finally be hitting their groove as the season starts to ramp up, with Perry leading that charge.

“All the coaches have been just telling me let it fly, be aggressive,” Perry said. “With Skyy being out, they’ve just been telling me ‘you’re playing with [Donovan Dent], and he’s going to find you, be aggressive.’ That’s what’s going on.”

Perry and the Bruins will look to carry their momentum into the rest of conference play as they try to get back to the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten has been one of the more competitive conferences in the sport, so the Bruins will have their work cut out for them if they wish to compete for a top seed in the conference.

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