LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA coach Mick Cronin put Donovan Dent, Eric Dailey Jr. and Tyler Bilodeau on blast in front of their teammates after a 12-point loss at Ohio State last weekend.
“I think we all responded right away, even before we got on the plane after he got on us,” Dent said.
It showed Tuesday night, when UCLA upset No. 4 Purdue 69-67 on Bilodeau’s 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining. The Boilermakers were 6 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Dent had 23 points, 13 assists, including on the winning basket, and three blocks to lead the Bruins (13-6, 5-3 Big Ten). Bilodeau finished with 14, and Dailey added 12 points and seven rebounds.
“He’s not doing it to drag us, he’s doing it to challenge us,” Dailey said. “When you’re challenged like that publicly, you got to respond publicly.”
UCLA snapped the Boilermakers’ nine-game winning streak with defense, something the Bruins haven’t been very good at this season.
The Bruins have won six of nine and improved to 3-3 this month as they try to work their way up from midpack in the Big Ten. Beating Purdue is their biggest win of the season, having already lost to then-No. 5 Arizona, then-No. 8 Gonzaga and then-No. 25 Iowa.
They’ve also been without guard Skyy Clark, who has missed five straight games with a hamstring injury, forcing others to play major minutes.
Now UCLA has 1 1/2 months to get off the NCAA Tournament bubble.
“Even in our earlier losses to Arizona and Gonzaga we were in the game just as much,” said Dent, who has struggled to live up to his star status in his first season in Westwood after transferring from New Mexico.
“We know how good of a team we have, just which one of us shows up that night. Either we’re going to play hard or we’re not and that’s been our struggle all season. I think we can build off this a lot and go on a big run here,” Dent said.
Cronin had confronted Dent about being too much of a bystander in games, describing it as “I had a little talk, he listened.”
“You got to perform,” Cronin told Dent. “You can’t stand around when your team needs you.”
Dent also defended Purdue’s Braden Smith, who was held to 12 points on 5 of 13 shooting. Cronin calls Smith “Superman,” and Dent proved to be the guard’s kryptonite.
“He was out there fighting and scrapping and playing with his heart, not watching,” Cronin said. “He was all over the place defensively.”
Xavier Booker didn’t escape Cronin’s ire, either. The Indianapolis native had nine points on 4 of 5 shooting, to go with four rebounds and three blocks.
“Just foul somebody, miss a shot, push somebody on the ground,” Cronin implored. “Do something to show your teammates you care. This is competitive sports, man. Fortitude matters.”
Cronin saved some of his wrath for the Big Ten, which scheduled five of UCLA’s first seven league games on the road. The Bruins came into the Purdue game on two days’ rest after playing in Ohio, while the Boilermakers were in Los Angeles since last week, having played at USC on Saturday.
“I want to thank the Big Ten for that,” he said. “I don’t think they care about basketball.”
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