The UCLA Bruins moved to 1-0 in Conference Tournaments play after a 72-59 result over the the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who left at 0-1, at the United Center on 9:00 PM EDT.
First half
The Bruins took a 30-24 edge into halftime as the Scarlet Knights shot 38 percent from the field on 58 attempts while UCLA also finished at 38 percent on 60 attempts.
UCLA’s early separation showed up at the line, with 23 free throw attempts compared to Rutgers’ 10, and the Bruins made 19 free throws.
Rutgers kept contact with 24 points in the paint while UCLA matched that paint total with 24 of its own.
The Knights limited UCLA’s perimeter output to 7 made 3-pointers on 23 attempts, and Rutgers answered with 6 made 3-pointers on 19 attempts.
Second half
The Bruins closed the game by scoring 42 after halftime while Rutgers scored 35, and UCLA’s biggest lead reached 15.
UCLA created 12 points off turnovers while committing 10 turnovers, and Rutgers produced 10 points off turnovers while finishing with 13 turnovers.
The Westwood Warriors won the rebound count 40-30, including 8 offensive boards that helped generate 10 second-chance points.
Rutgers recorded 4 blocks and UCLA matched that with 4 blocks, while the Bruins posted 7 steals compared to the Knights’ 5.
UCLA’s ball movement finished at 18 assists and an assists-to-turnover ratio of 2.0, while Rutgers totaled 14 assists with a 1.08 ratio.
The UCLA Bruins vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights key moments included UCLA’s 11-4 run as the Bruins’ most unanswered stretch and Rutgers’ 8-point answer during its own longest push.
By the numbers
The UCLA Bruins post-match stats showed 83 percent free-throw shooting compared to Rutgers at 90 percent, with UCLA’s volume at the stripe standing out.
Donovan Dent’s previous-game line of 12 assists and 10 rebounds set a passing-and-boards benchmark within the Bruins’ rotation.
Tyler Bilodeau’s previous-game 21 points led UCLA scorers in that outing, and
Trent Perry’s previous-game 12 points came with 4 assists.
The UCLA Bruins vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights scoreline review also reflected UCLA’s 12 bench points alongside Rutgers’ 14 bench points in the rotation totals.
The UCLA Bruins vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights highlights included UCLA’s 6 fast-break points and Rutgers’ 8 fast-break points in transition production.
Next up
The Bruins will be on the BTN broadcast at 9:00 PM EDT on 3/13/2026 for UCLA Bruins at the Michigan State Spartans at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
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