UCLA Stuns No. 4 Purdue in Final Seconds Behind Donovan Dent’s Big Night
Purdue’s unbeaten run in Big Ten play came to a sudden halt in Los Angeles, as the Boilermakers fell 69-67 to a surging UCLA squad. The final possession told the story-CJ Cox’s last-second three clanged off the front of the rim, and with that, Purdue’s hopes of a comeback were gone.
The Bruins were led by Donovan Dent, who was electric all night. Dent poured in 23 points and dished out 13 assists, controlling the tempo and carving up Purdue’s defense, especially in the second half. When the game tightened late, it wasn’t just Dent making plays-he delivered the assist on the game’s biggest shot.
With under ten seconds left, Dent ran a clean two-man action and found Tyler Bilodeau wide open on the perimeter. Bilodeau stepped into a confident triple and buried it, giving UCLA the lead for good. It was the kind of shot that silences a crowd-or in this case, left Purdue stunned on the road.
Purdue, meanwhile, just couldn’t find the rhythm that’s made them the nation’s top offense for much of the season. The Boilermakers shot just 46% from the field and a rough 21% from beyond the arc, going 3-for-14 from deep. That cold shooting stretch ultimately proved costly.
Fletcher Loyer’s shooting struggles continued, connecting on just one of his five three-point attempts, including a couple of critical misses in crunch time. And while CJ Cox led the Boilermakers with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, Purdue didn’t get the production it needed from its usual stars.
Braden Smith, who entered the night nursing a leg injury from the USC game three days earlier, wasn’t quite himself. He finished with 12 points and 4 assists, well below his Big Ten averages of 18+ points and 9 assists per game. His mobility looked limited at times, and UCLA’s guards took full advantage.
Trey Kaufman-Renn did notch a double-digit night with 10 points and added 7 boards and 5 assists, but he was constantly hounded by double teams. UCLA’s defensive game plan was clear: make someone else beat them. Purdue couldn’t.
Interestingly, Purdue’s bench outplayed UCLA’s across the board. Gicarri Harris chipped in 7 points, Jack Benter made timely plays on both ends in each half, and Daniel Jacobsen came up with a few key rebounds.
UCLA’s bench, on the other hand, didn’t score a single point. But the Bruins starters outshined Purdue’s core when it mattered most.
The Boilermakers actually looked like they might escape with a win after taking a six-point lead following the final media timeout. But then came the Bruins’ 8-0 run to close the game-a flurry capped by Bilodeau’s dagger three and Dent’s steady hand.
Purdue wraps up its West Coast swing with a 1-1 record and some hard questions to answer. For a team that looked nearly unstoppable through the first half of the season, the offensive engine is sputtering. Whether it’s the shooting, the health of Braden Smith, or the rising pressure of Big Ten play, something’s off.
One thing is clear: if Purdue wants to stay in the national title conversation, they’ll need to rediscover their offensive identity-and soon.