Tyler Bilodeau scored a career-high 34 points and UCLA overwhelmed visiting UC Riverside with a second-half surge en route to a 97-65 victory on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The Bruins (10-3) built a 21-point lead with a 15-3 run to open the second half, but the Highlanders responded with an 11-2 spurt that lasted a little more than two minutes.
The resulting 12-point deficit with 14:02 remaining, following a successfully converted and-one dunk by UC Riverside’s Osiris Grady, was as close as the Highlanders came the rest of the way. The final 32-point margin was the Bruins’ largest lead of the contest and they outscored their opponents 52-31 in the half.
UCLA took control with an 18-4 run that spanned six minutes. The Bruins held the Highlanders without a field goal for a stretch lasting 5:23, effectively running away over that span.
Bilodeau’s career-best scoring effort came from a variety of spots on the floor, as the senior forward knocked down 4 of 7 3-point attempts, went 8 of 12 from inside the arc and was 6 of 6 at the free-throw line. UCLA shot 22 of 26 at the charity stripe overall.
Bilodeau led four UCLA scorers in double figures. Skyy Clark and Trent Perry each posted 14 points, while Eric Dailey Jr. added 13. Dailey also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass.
UCLA snared 11 offensive rebounds as a team that it converted into 16 points. The Bruins were also prolific in turning takeaways into points, forcing UC Riverside into 22 turnovers that UCLA cashed in for 23 points.
Clark swiped three steals to lead the defensive effort.
Grady set the pace for UC Riverside (6-8), shooting 8 of 12 from the field on the way to 20 points. Grady also dished a team-high five assists, leading the way as the Highlanders scored 17 of their 23 total made field goals off of assists.
Perry led UCLA with a game-high seven assists. Tuesday’s win marked the Bruins’ third straight scoring 90 or more points.
