UCLA's First Opponent Had 'No Answers' For Donovan Dent

The Bruins' star point guard received high praise from EWU's coach after their 80-74 win.

Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) drives to the basket between Eastern Washington Eagles guard Cole Scherer (11) and guard Alton Hamilton IV (4) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) may have looked like a shell of themselves defeating Eastern Washington, 80-74, on Monday, but transfer point guard Donovan Dent made his impact felt.

The Bruins as a team looked disjointed by a meddling Big Sky opponent and EWU's tricky zone defense, so much so that Dent often had to carry UCLA through some of its roughest stretches.

EWU head coach Dan Monson credited the senior point guard for being the reason the Eagles couldn't compete.

"“I think UCLA is a super-talented and elite team," Monson said after the game. "When it’s all said and done, they’re going to be a top 10 team in the country. We tried box-and-one on [Donovan] Dent, two different zones, and some other defenses, but we had no answer for him. He’s truly an elite point guard.”

The Bruins led by as much as 15 points in the second half as the offense struggled to get anything consistent going for the better part of both halves. The Eagles continued their gritty effort and brought the game to within six points as the buzzer sounded.

Dent was as good as advertised in his debut, leading UCLA with 21 points, four rebounds and nine assists on 8-of-17 shooting. The transfer guard's first half is what kept EWU from assuming control over the game. Dent's play faltered in the second half, but just because other UCLA contributors started finding shots.

Monson added that they were simply outmatched against the Bruins.

"“For us, our best player is out for the year, so we’re just trying to find ourselves," he said.

They [UCLA] are just too big and strong for us. Their inside presence was a problem for us. From the first game, we just take a lot of things that you have to get better at. Let’s face it – no one is going to make the NCAA Tournament at this time of year. It’s great for Mick to let us come in and compete against an elite team.”

Despite the win, you wouldn't expect Mick Cronin to be proud with how the Bruins performed in this game. UCLA matches up with Pepperdine at home on Friday at 7 p.m. PT on Big Ten Network.

---

Make sure to bookmark UCLA Bruins On SI to get all your daily UCLA Bruins news, analysis and more!

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @cmorenoNBA to keep up with every story surrounding UCLA athletics!

Please let us know your thoughts on this when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.