UCLA dominates USC to sweep rivalry, end Trojans’ March Madness hopes

Rivalry games have a way of stripping a season down to its emotional bones. 

And sometimes the final score carries a clear verdict. 

On Saturday night inside the Galen Center, UCLA delivered one with ruthless clarity.

The Bruins walked into their rival’s house and walked out with an 89–68 victory over USC, sweeping the season series and leaving the Trojans staring into the quiet, uncomfortable reality of March without an NCAA Tournament invitation.

For UCLA, it felt like a statement written in bold blue ink.

For USC, it felt like a door slamming shut.

The Bruins were sharp, aggressive and composed — the kind of team head coach Mick Cronin has been trying to sculpt all season. Cronin has built a reputation over two decades, dating back to Cincinnati, as a coach obsessed with defensive discipline and mental toughness.

“Defense is all I worry about with this team,” said Cronin after the victory. “We definitely did it against Nebraska and we did it tonight. But the fight is not over with that. We can go right back to who we were, which was a bad defensive team.”

Saturday night looked exactly like the kind of game he dreams about: physical defense, efficient offense and a star guard taking over the spotlight.

That star was Donovan Dent, who played like a man tired of hearing about what he can’t do.

Dent poured in 25 points on 11-for-15 shooting, slicing through USC’s defense with the calm confidence of a player who knew the night belonged to him. He added seven assists as UCLA cruised to victory in hostile territory. 

“I feel good with the ball in my hands and the team trusts me,” said Dent who had 55 points and no turnovers in the two games against USC. “Rivals are always the best games. I look forward to them every year. So to come out victorious in both is a good feeling,”

Forward Tyler Bilodeau added 16 points, providing the kind of interior balance that makes UCLA dangerous when the postseason begins.

“Someone had to score,” joked Cronin of Bilodeau’s performance. “Tyler can shoot. He’s going to a get a chance to play in the NBA. He’s one of the best shooters in the country if he gets his feet set.”

Courtside, former Bruin and NBA champion Matt Barnes watched the show with his twin sons — Carter and Isaiah Barnes, two highly regarded prospects from Crespi Carmelite High School in the class of 2027. Barnes smiled often as UCLA dismantled its rival, but across the court the mood on the USC bench felt heavier. 

The Trojans entered the night desperate, clinging to fading tournament hopes that already looked shaky after six straight losses. The situation worsened last week when leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara was dismissed from the team, leaving head coach Eric Musselman scrambling for answers.

“They looked a little bit different tonight,” said UCLA’s Bilodeau of the Trojans team without Baker-Mazara. “He’s a good player. That’s a good team over there. Respect to them.”

Musselman is one of college basketball’s most intense personalities — a relentless sideline presence who built his reputation at Nevada and Arkansas by squeezing every ounce out of his rosters. But even the most fiery coaches eventually run out of solutions when momentum turns toxic.

Right now, USC looks like a program stuck in quicksand.

“Obviously we’re struggling down the stretch,” said Musselman. “At Arkansas and Nevada we got extremely hot in late February and March and had some incredible runs, but we’ve had some unfortunate injuries for two years in a row now. We’re the most injured program in college basketball this year.”

The lone bright spot came from Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas. The younger Arenas showed flashes of the same scoring instinct that made his father a star, finishing with 20 points and knocking down three 3-pointers.

But the Trojans needed more than flashes.

They needed a miracle that never came. 

What does it mean?

Rivalry wins always carry emotional weight, but Saturday’s result carried very different consequences for the two programs.

For UCLA, the victory simply reinforces what bracketologists already believed. The Bruins are headed to the NCAA Tournament, likely sitting around a No. 9 seed in the West Region according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

That seed could climb if UCLA makes a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament next week.

Still, Cronin knows his team remains something of a riddle.

At times this season the Bruins have looked like a contender — knocking off No. 9 Nebraska, stunning No. 10 Illinois with a buzzer-beater. Other nights they’ve stumbled against teams like Minnesota and Indiana, performances that leave observers wondering which version of UCLA will show up when it comes time for March Madness.

“We have to keep playing defense and stay healthy,” said Cronin of his team’s chances.

For USC, the picture is far darker.

Seven straight losses. A fractured roster. And a conference tournament path that likely begins as a No. 13 seed in a league that includes five teams ranked in the national top 15.

“We’ll prepare for the Big 10 tournament and see if there’s something we can do defensively to make adjustments,” Musselman said, looking ahead to next week. “We just have to keep teaching and learning. there’s nothing else you can do.”

Realistically, the Trojans’ only path to the NCAA Tournament would require a miracle run through Chicago.

Right now, the NIT feels far more likely.

“Our goal coming in was to make the NCAA tournament,” said Musselman. “But that was with a healthy group. We didn’t win tonight, and so we understand where we are.”

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Turning point

For roughly 14 minutes, USC managed to hang around.

The Trojans scrapped, defended and fed off the home crowd. But rivalry games can pivot suddenly, and UCLA found its moment late in the first half.

The Bruins exploded on a 13–1 run, sparked by Eric Freeney scoring on back-to-back possessions that pushed UCLA to its first double-digit lead.

“We out-hustled and out-worked the other team,” Freeney said of that run. ““ had a feeling after last game that we would win this game. We could feel it.”

The energy drained from the building almost instantly.

By halftime the Bruins were up 45–30, and the game had already begun drifting out of reach.

From there, UCLA never allowed the Trojans to breathe. By the time the final buzzer rang, Trojans fans had already headed for the exits and the remaining fans in blue and gold starting chanting “F— USC!” A horrible look on your home court.

“It’s been a super challenging year. Our home court has not been much of a home court advantage,” admitted Musselman. “That’s an area we have to improve on for sure.”

MVP

There was never a debate.

Donovan Dent controlled the game from the opening minutes, blending scoring efficiency with playmaking. His 25 points and seven assists were the engine behind UCLA’s offense and the biggest reason USC’s defense never found its footing.

“Early in the first half he [Coach Cronin] said something to me and that made me flip the switch,” said Dent of his dominace.

If UCLA is going to make real noise in March, Dent will need more nights like this.

Up next

The regular season ends with the two rivals heading toward dramatically different futures.

UCLA moves on to the Big Ten Tournament, hoping to string together the kind of consistency that has eluded them most of the season. If the Bruins can channel Saturday’s energy, they could enter the NCAA Tournament as one of March’s most dangerous middle seeds.

“There’s a lot of good teams going to Chicago next week,” said Cronin. “The Big 10 is the best league by far in college basketball. We’ll find out where we stand.”

USC, meanwhile, limps into Chicago searching for pride more than opportunity.

Seven straight losses have turned a once-promising season into a cautionary tale.

And sometimes, in this rivalry, the final score says everything.