UCLA wins the battle of the season in 69-67 victory over No. 4 Purdue

LOS ANGELES – Taking on the No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers (17-2, 7-1) fresh off UCLA’s (13-6, 5-3) brutal loss to Ohio State looked like a tall order.

Purdue’s weapons are relentless. They play hard and fast and have an abundance of skill. Early on in the game, those weapons seemed to be too much for the Bruins as they trailed by as much as 12 in the first half.

Then, the tide turned. UCLA’s defense was relentless, something that head coach Mick Cronin has been insistent on throughout the season. The Bruins weren’t just using double teams, they were putting the Boilermakers on islands, surrounding them in walls of arms and legs clad in blue and gold.

«It’s a game of runs,» senior forward Tyler Bilodeau said. «It was early. We knew we had a lot of basketball left to play and we told each other, we’re going to make shots, we’re going to be right back in this, we’re going to get stops and we did that.»

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Taking over the game

At one point UCLA went on a 11-0 run to turn the tide. More than just swaying the scoreboard, they were swaying Pauley Pavilion, which shook the earth with cheers from Purdue and UCLA fans alike.

The momentum swing came with the eight and ninth points of that 9-0 run, when redshirt freshman guard Eric Freeny blocked a Purdue layup and Bilodeau rebounded.

Without hesitation, Bilodeau fired downcourt to a sprinting junior guard Eric Dailey Jr. and with cinematic prowess Dailey Jr. rose through the air, floating on the anticipation of Pauley Pavilion, and fired down a two-handed dunk that shook the foundation of the stadium itself.

Jordan Teller – The Sporting Tribune

Eric Dailey Jr. #3 of the UCLA Bruins celebrates after a dunk during an NCAA basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Tuesday January 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.

«I think plays like that definitely shift the energy of the game. We have a lot of fans. I want to thank the fans, first off, because it brought the energy that we needed. Him [Bilodeau] finding me on that is big and those are plays that we need to shift energies,» Dailey Jr. said.

The comeback was completed as the seconds of the buzzer for the first half rang. Senior guard Donovan Dent drove toward paint and floated up a midrange shot that, perhaps sensing the drama of the moment, bounced straight up from the rim before sinking down through the net.

It was 32-32 with one half to go.

UCLA leads in the second half

UCLA carried that momentum into the second half and took their first lead lead of the game with a 7-2 run to open the half, though the Boilermakers weren’t done yet.

Eric Dailey Jr. dribbled the ball straight into the hands of Purdue sophomore guard C.J. Cox and Cox took off running downcourt. UCLA senior forward Tyler Bilodeau committed a foul while he leapt up to block Cox’s layup, sending the Boilermaker to the line.

Jordan Teller – The Sporting Tribune

UCLA students celebrate during an NCAA basketball game during an NCAA basketball game between the UCLA Bruins and Purdue Boilermakers, Tuesday January 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Cox’s two shots from the charity stripe were good and led a 5-0 run for the Boilermakers that eventually tumbled into them leading by six with less than two minutes to go.

It was now or never for the Bruins and seemingly every movement of the court sent either side of the stands into a frenzy.

Dent, the undisputed hero of the game and having a resurgent night in a struggling season, drained a triple for his 23rd point of the game to put the Bruins just three points away.

«I give him [Dent] all the credit. We don’t win if he don’t show up tonight,» UCLA head coach Mick Cronin said. «13 assists. 23 points. He got the job done.»

Purdue raced downcourt again but sophomore guard Trent Perry had other plans and picked the pocket of the Purdue player he was up against for a steal and fed Dailey Jr. on the fast break for a layup to make it a one point game, Purdue still ahead 67-66.

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Bilodeau sends Purdue home

The Boilermakers called a timeout to regroup with less than a minute left as their hard fought lead was chipped away at more and more. It clearly didn’t help since they turned the ball over the Bruins again right away, the stop that UCLA so desperately needed.

With seconds left Dent was in control of the ball again but facing heavy traffic. He surveyed the packed paint ahead of him and tossed a pass to Bilodeau over his shoulder.

Bilodeau pulled up and drained the dagger to put UCLA ahead 69-67. The crowd went crazy. Bilodeau went crazier.

Jordan Teller – The Sporting Tribune

Tyler Bilodeau #34 of the UCLA Bruins shoots the ball during an NCAA basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Tuesday January 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Six seconds on the clock and Purdue had one more chance. Cox broke down court again and pulled up for a three-pointer, the only shot that could have saved Purdue from an upset, and it clanged off the front of the hoop.

The biggest upset of UCLA’s season was secure and there was new life in Westwood in what has so far been a demoralizing season. It could even be a preview of what’s yet to come. Cronin was certainly happy to see the way his team carried themselves, especially after his opposite reaction following the loss to Ohio State.

«I’d have been pleased if Tyler [Bilodeau] missed the shot and we lost. I just want us to fight, man. I thought we fought,» Cronin said.