Bruins' Dailey Jr. Returns to High-Scoring Habit

The UCLA Bruins earned a wire-to-wire victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes at home Sunday night. Sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. led the way as he returned to his high-scoring habits after a couple of games.

Feb 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) grabs a rebound over Ohio State Buckeyes forward Devin Royal (21) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (20-8, 11-6) put together a strong bounce-back performance as they defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes (15-13, 7-10) on Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion. Leading scorer sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. is back to his old ways of posting big scoring games.

After a four-game stretch where Dailey did not score in double figures once, he responded on his home court with a signature outing, scoring a team-high 20 points with eight rebounds and a pair of steals. He went 8-15 from the field with three triples from beyond the arc.

As a guy that averages 11.3 points per game, it was very unlikely Dailey to have subpar performances as he was of late. Following his strong showing against Ohio State, the Oklahoma State transfer was asked how he stayed the course and battled through a short slump stretch.

"I think just trusting God, honestly," Dailey said. "I've been in the low for the past few games, everybody know that, and just thep reparation and the work that I put in and praying, all that it. It finally shows things might not happen when you want it to, but if you keep praying and keep working, it would happen. I think tonight, I got my feet back under me, should be good for these next stretch of games."

Consistency and confidence can go a long way, and Dailey is well aware of that. He knew the shots would start to fall in time if he continued to put the work in and believed that he was an elite player, as he has shown time and time again.

Even as a first-year player on the team, Dailey has been credited as one of the largest leaders of the group and hardest workers on a daily basis. There is no surprise that he earned his third game of 20 or more points this season as he has stayed consistent.

There is a star next to Dailey's name for opposing teams and it will be even more apparent when the NCAA Tournament rolls around. The Bruins' 20th win of the season locks them into a spot in the big dance and Dailey could be a guy that takes over the tournament with a strong performance.

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