No. 15 UCLA remained undefeated on the season with an 83-62 win over West Georgia Wolves on Monday night in Los Angeles. Without their star guard Donovan Dent, who sat out due to a precautionary muscle strain, the Bruins maintained poise and depth as Tyler Bilodeau powered them with 21 points.

Bilodeau and Perry Step Up for UCLA

Tyler Bilodeau Tyler Bilodeau
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With Donovan Dent out for the game, the sophomore forward Tyler Bilodeau took the spotlight as he shot 7-of-12 from the field and went perfect on all six of his free throws. Freshman guard Trent Perry also had a strong presence in the game, adding 17 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. Eric Dailey Jr. chipped in 14 points to round out the well-rounded offensive effort for UCLA.

Dent, a transfer from New Mexico, had been one of UCLA's most consistent players early in the season, averaging 16.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 3 rebounds in the Bruins' first two wins. His absence forced others to step up, and they did exactly that.

Hot Shooting Keeps West Georgia Close Early

The West Georgia Wolves, at 1-2, came into the game against Nebraska looking to rebound and came out firing from deep. The Wolves hit 13 of 25 three-pointers, led by Brady Hardewig's four long-range shots and Sheldon Williams-Dryden's 16 points.

The Wolves made three-pointers for their first five field goals of the game, but the Bruins were able to mount an 11-0 run to take early command. West Georgia kept up its strong perimeter shooting to cut UCLA's halftime lead to 37-32.

The Bruins shot a startling 15-of-25 from the floor in the second half after struggling offensively throughout the first half. Meanwhile, the hot hand for the Wolves cooled off. The visitors went just 4-of-12 from three-point range and 11-of-26 overall in the final 20 minutes, not enough to keep pace with UCLA's balanced attack.

Bruins Take Over in the Second Half

Coming out of the break, the Bruins amped up their tempo and execution. According to AP News, Perry opened the second half by scoring five of UCLA's first seven points. This stretched the lead to 44-34. West Georgia briefly closed the gap with back-to-back threes from Chas Lewless, trimming the deficit to five.

But UCLA regained the momentum rather quickly. A 10-0 run, keyed by a five-point burst from Bilodeau and a three-pointer from Jamar Brown, extended the lead to 58-43.