LOS ANGELES - It would have been hard for Wednesday's game between No. 9 UCLA (3-0) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff to be anything less than a lopsided affair, but just how lopsided it turned out still came as a surprise.
The Bruins tore through the Golden Bears in a matchup that seemed over before the first 10 minutes and in the process UCLA surged to a 106-36 victory to remain undefeated. But while it's good to be on the upside of any blowout, what the Bruins accomplished on Wednesday night was historic.
Their 69-point margin of victory was the largest in UCLA history, etching this season's Bruins into the rarest of territories for the nation's most storied basketball program.
"Speechless. That wasn't something that we are aiming for, but we'll take it," junior guard Trent Perry said.
FINAL: UCLA 106 - Arkansas Pine Bluff 37
— Jack Haslett (@JackHaslett_13) November 12, 2026
Pre-conference craziness. No other way to put it.
Jalen Petty: 16 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST
Trent Perry: 11 PTS, 4 REB, 11 AST
Nikola Kustarica: 17 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST
Pre-conference craziness
The nature of pre-conference games means that wildly uneven scores like Wednesday's can happen. Ranked programs like UCLA invite smaller programs like Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a game and even if the talent disparity doesn't make for the most competitive of matchups, it's still an opportunity for the Bruins to sand out their rough edges.
That's exactly what head coach Mick Cronin saw his team do and their commitment to their work is just one of the reasons he's been so pleased to coach them this season.
"I appreciate they [Arkansas-Pine Bluff] came... Respect to those guys for trying," Cronin said. "We're concerned with getting better in certain areas. I thought our help defense was much better tonight than it was in the North Florida game... I thought the guys bought in. We have a great group of guys with a great team attitude."
Jordan Teller - The Sporting Tribune
Nikola Kusturica #17 of the UCLA Bruins drives towards the basket during an NCAA Men's Basketball game against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, Wednesday November 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.
For as much as the Golden Bears were the David in this situation, they opened the game with a certain level of defensive tenacity against the Goliath Bruins. Though tenacious as they were, it didn't do much to stop UCLA's scoring onslaught, nor did the Golden Bears' own offensive faults help their case.
Arkansas Pine Bluff was 3-21 from the field by the end of the first half with 21 turnovers, while UCLA had surged ahead to a 51-9 lead. Holding an opponent to nine points in a half tied a program record for the Bruins.
Even Bigger second half
The second half somehow managed to be an improvement scoring-wise on UCLA's first half, with 55 points compared to a measly 51 points in the first, and as UCLA ran the clock down to program history, some of the team's biggest stars shone the brightest.
Junior guard Trent Perry had a career-high 11 assists on top of 11 points he scored himself and while the teammates around him had ample opportunity to put up shots, Perry's awareness as a floor general has only grown and cemented his status as a leader even more.
"I actually had a talk with my dad before the game and he kind of asked me when's the last time I played free," Perry said. From there I was like, 'I'm gonna just go in and let the game come to me'... At the end of the day, I couldn't have done it without my teammates making shots."
Freshman forward Nikola Kustarica led the Bruins with 17 points 7-9 shooting, though sophomore guard Jalen Petty was close behind with 16 points of his own.
Senior forward Eric Dailey Jr. added 13 points and six rebounds, tied for the team lead in boards with freshman Joe Philon III, who rounded out UCLA's big day with 10 points off the bench.
UCLA is 3-0 on the season and they move on to host Long Beach State Monday, Nov. 16.