UCLA Stuns No. 4 Purdue with Late Rally, Hands Boilermakers First Big Ten Loss
In a game that came down to the final possession, Purdue had the look it wanted. CJ Cox got a clean look from beyond the arc with the game on the line-but the shot clanged off the front of the rim, and with it, the Boilermakers’ unbeaten start in Big Ten play slipped away.
UCLA pulled off a statement win, 69-67, behind a monster performance from Donovan Dent, who poured in 23 points and dished out 13 assists in a game where he was simply the best player on the floor. The Bruins handed Purdue just its second loss of the season-and they did it by outplaying one of the most efficient offenses in the country on both ends of the court.
Dent was electric all night, but it was Tyler Bilodeau who delivered the knockout blow. With under ten seconds to go, Dent worked a two-man game and found Bilodeau open on the perimeter.
The shot was pure. UCLA took the lead, and never gave it back.
Purdue had its chances, but the Boilermakers couldn’t find their rhythm from deep. They hit just 3-of-14 from three-point range, and the misses piled up at the worst possible times. Fletcher Loyer continued his shooting slump, going just 1-for-5 from deep, including a couple of key misses late in the second half.
As for Dent, Purdue simply had no answer. He controlled the tempo, carved up the defense, and made the right reads possession after possession. Whether it was creating for himself or setting up teammates, he dictated everything in the second half.
UCLA’s defense deserves just as much credit. The Bruins held Purdue-owners of the nation’s top-ranked offense-to just 46% shooting from the field and a frigid 21% from beyond the arc. For a team that’s made a living by overwhelming opponents with offensive firepower, Purdue looked stuck in neutral when it mattered most.
The Boilermakers actually looked to be in control late, taking a six-point lead coming out of the final media timeout. But UCLA closed the game on an 8-0 run, flipping the script and handing Purdue a tough loss that knocks them off the top of the Big Ten standings.
CJ Cox led Purdue with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, but the Boilermakers didn’t get enough from their top guns. Braden Smith, who came into the game questionable after a leg injury against USC, didn’t look like himself. He finished with 12 points and 4 assists-well below his Big Ten averages of over 18 points and 9 dimes per game.
Trey Kaufman-Renn was the only other Boilermaker in double figures, finishing with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. He saw a steady diet of double teams once again, as UCLA made it a priority to get the ball out of his hands.
One bright spot for Purdue was the bench. Gicarri Harris chipped in 7 points, Jack Benter made timely plays throughout both halves, and Daniel Jacobsen pulled down a couple of big rebounds.
In fact, Purdue’s bench outscored and outplayed UCLA’s reserves all night-the Bruins didn’t get a single point from their bench. But their starting five stepped up when it counted.
For Purdue, this West Coast swing ends with a 1-1 record and a few more questions than answers. After looking nearly unstoppable through the first half of the season, the Boilermakers now head back to Big Ten play needing to rediscover their offensive identity-and fast.