LOS ANGELES — The UCLA men’s basketball team had a chance to showcase its depth on Monday night. With point guard Donovan Dent out of the lineup because of a minor muscle strain, the Bruins’ production was equally distributed.
Tyler Bilodeau slid into the spotlight as the primary shot-taker on offense and Eric Dailey Jr. flourished as the secondary option, each mimicking their role from last season. Trent Perry did a little bit of everything in his first career start. The trio helped lift No. 15 UCLA to an 83-62 victory over West Georgia.
Bilodeau led the Bruins (3-0) with 21 points, Perry had a career-high 17 points and nine assists.
Early in the game, Bilodeau and Dailey traded initiation responsibilities, each operating in the midrange. Bilodeau nailed a 15-foot jump shot off an inbound play and pivoted around the baseline for a high-arcing hook shot. Dailey pulled-up for a contested 10-foot jump shot, then countered on the following play, baiting his defender with a pump-fake, opening a passing lane to Steven Jamerson II for a dunk.
Perry eased into the game by playing the role of facilitator, driving the lane in a late-shot clock situation and delivering a perfect pocket pass to Dailey for a corner 3-pointer.
As a freshman, Perry played sporadically, earning minutes with his effort and intensity on the defensive side. A McDonald’s All-American, the situation messed with his mentality, he has admitted. The fluctuating confidence negatively affected his play.
Thrust into a starting spot on Monday, the pressure was on. He heard his name called over the public address system as starting lineups were announced. He ran through the handshake line, showcasing his personal dap-up with walk-on Jack Seidler.
But he never showed signs of wavering. Put in this spot last season, he might have, but this version of Perry played with the assurance of a veteran.
He had the assists on Bilodeau’s first two baskets, then Dailey’s 3-pointer. He scored on a fast-break and at the free throw line. Seeing simple shots fall certainly helped him settle in.
As West Georgia (1-2) hung with UCLA, Perry asserted himself offensively, gaining more comfort as the game progressed. He hit a 3-pointer on the first possession of the second half. He drove the lane and dished to Bilodeau who drew an and-one. A few possessions later, Perry came around a screen and dribbled into a straightaway 3-pointer.
Following that make, he turned to the crowd and pumped both his fists, clearly feeling it. Emotion and effort is synonymous with the Trent Perry experience. Last season, it compounded his struggles. This year, he’s channeling it positively.
Midway through the second half, Dailey exited the game after taking a shot on an off-ball screen. Jamar Brown replaced him and knocked down consecutive 3-pointers that helped restore a double-digit cushion. Dailey returned to the game after briefly checking with the trainers.
Skyy Clark had a relatively quiet night offensively, but he helped the Bruins close out the win with a pair of midrange jumpers.
In a game without Dent, Clark could have been the man. Instead, he gave way for his protege, Perry, who mastered the moment, and made it his own.
UP NEXT
UCLA plays former Pac-12 rival and fifth-ranked Arizona on Friday night as part of a doubleheader at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
More to come on this story.
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