What Powered UCLA’s Victory Over ASU

The Bruins would bounce back against Arizona State, winning 90-77, in a game where the Bruins' starters really stepped up.

After losing a heartbreaker to No. 7 Gonzaga, the Bruins set their sights on a decent Arizona State team, which, entering this matchup, sat at 9-2; however, the Bruins would take care of business, winning 90-77.

Numbers from the Game

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) is defended by Arizona State Sun Devils guard Moe Odum (5) as he drives to the basket in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Bruins shot well in this game, going 29-62 (47%) and 14-26 (54%). From the line, UCLA would shoot 18-22 (82%). The Bruins also had an ok rebounding and grabbed 35 of them. The Bruins were less pass-heavy in this game, with only 16 assists.

On the other side, UCLA had a great job defensively. They held ASU to 40% shooting on the night, as well as 4-26 on three pointers. While some of the credit can go to the Bruins, it was just a poor shooting night overall for the Sun Devils.

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins center Xavier Booker (1) shoots the ball over Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery (17) during the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Sun Devils shot great from the line tonight, shooting 25-26, something that really kept them in the game until the Bruins were able to put them away later in the second half. The Bruins tied with the Sun Devils in this game, as ASU had 35 themselves.

Defensively, the Bruins would win both the turnover and steal battle. The Bruins would have eight turnovers to ASU's 11, and the Bruins would have eight steals to the Sun Devils' seven. Blocking-wise, the Bruins would have four, while ASU would have one.

Key Performances

Donovan Dent was a delightful surprise in this one; he scored 20 points for the first time since the season opener. You can tell he has regained some of his moxie from seasons past, something the Bruins have needed. He shot 9-17 with four rebounds and four assists.

The Bruins' sharpshooter Skyy Clark had a great shooting night as well, shooting 6-13 from the field and 6-10 from three. Like Dent, Clark would have a good night rebounding, grabbing five. He would also help out with playmaking with five assists of his own.

Tyler Bilodeau was decent in this one; however, he wasn't as hot as he was against Gonzaga, scoring 18 points during this one. Eight of those points came from the line, in which he shot perfectly 8-8. He also grabbed five boards in this one.

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Overall, a pretty solid bounce back game from the Bruins. At times it did get a little choppy, but the Bruins managed well not allowing the Sun Devils to get the lead at any point in this one.

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