UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Recapping Bruins Win over Penn State

Our latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast recaps the Bruins' impressive win over the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion. Multiple players told the story on both sides of the ball for their seventh-straight win.

Feb 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) and guard Skyy Clark (55) celebrate with forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) after a basket during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (18-6, 9-4) earned their seventh-straight win on Saturday afternoon as they took down the Penn State Nittany Lions (13-11, 3-10) at Pauley Pavilion. After falling down early, the Bruins surged back to dominate a majority of the contest, improving to 13-0 at home this season with the 78-54 victory.

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, UCLA Bruins on SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh breaks down the Bruins' impressive performance as they continue to play some of the most elite basketball in the conference. They have made up some serious ground in the Big Ten standings as well.

You can watch the episode below:

UCLA took a 13-point lead into halftime and would expand that lead throughout the second half, earning a 78-54 victory. It applied the pressure throughout all 40 minutes and was able to suffocate the Nittany Lions, forcing them to shoot a dreadful 38% from the field.

The Bruins were led by senior guard Kobe Johnson, who had his best overall game of the season. The former USC Trojans posted a season-high 15 points and his first double-double of the season with 13 rebounds. He also led the team with six assists and four steals.

Junior guard Skyy Clark notched another double-figure performance, scoring 14 points on 6-7 shooting, with 13 of those coming in the first half. Sophomore guard Sebastian Mack was stellar off the bench once again, netting 14 points and grabbing a pair of steals.

It was business as usual for the Bruins' defense as they forced 18 turnovers Of their 78 points, 24 came from Penn State's giveaways. They dominated the turnover battle, as UCLA had just four turnovers, which is downright incredible. It is almost unheard of to see a college basketball team only turn the ball over four times.

The Bruins are now tied for third place in the conference standings, tied with the No. 21 Wisconsin Badgers (19-5, 9-4), but do hold the tiebreaker due to the win they earned over the Badgers earlier in this win streak. The top four teams in the standings receive a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

After their prolonged success and three straight home games, the Bruins will hit the road and travel East for their second cross-country road trip of the season. The Bruins are 0-3 this season against conference teams outside of the Pacific Time Zone, having trouble playing the tougher Big Ten teams.

UCLA will take on the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini (15-8, 7-6) on Tuesday night before it plays the Indiana Hoosiers (14-10, 5-8) next Friday. Both games will held in hostile environments and could prove crucial for the Bruins' chances at a top-four spot in the conference standings.

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