This post was updated Nov. 21 at 10:50 p.m.
Build-a-Bank Bungee Race made its debut in Pauley Pavilion on Friday.
Two fans, adorning helmets and connected by a bungee cord, attempted to collect money near the opposing 3-point lines – resulting in, as you might expect, standoffs and wipeouts.
Mix in the UCLA Club Celebration Night – which showcased everything from competitive lettuce eating, a lion dance and a musical performance – the sounds of the ever-present UCLA band and host Charlie Kratus of @goodmorningucla, and it appeared quite the entertaining evening.
The most amusing basketball-related activity might have been when a free throw from Blue Hose forward Jonah Pierce got stuck between the rim and backboard in the first half.
Regardless, the sparse Westwood crowd came to watch No. 19 UCLA men’s basketball (5-1) walk over Presbyterian (3-5) 86-46 Friday night in the former’s last mid-major matchup before facing four Power Four opponents in five games – with the lone outlier coming against No. 13 Gonzaga.
“Obviously, the game wasn’t in doubt,” said coach Mick Cronin. “I’m doing a better job trying to get these guys in the right humble state of mind.”
After four of coach Mick Cronin’s regular starters began Tuesday’s affair against Sacramento State on the bench, three returned to the hardwood as UCLA won the opening tipoff.
Tyler Bilodeau was the lone absence, nursing a left knee he sprained during practice Thursday. The senior forward was on the sidelines Friday night, sitting next to assistant coach David Singleton in street clothes, and a UCLA athletics spokesperson added that his return is yet to be determined.
“Could be a week, could be two weeks – tough to say,” Cronin said. “I saw it happen. I was sick to my stomach for the kid.”
But the Bruin offense still managed to run up the scoreboard even without their leading scorer from a season ago – largely thanks to a Bruin career-high 22 points from senior guard Skyy Clark.
It took Presbyterian two and a half minutes before recording its first points and UCLA was already up 7-0.
The Bruins led by 10 after less than five minutes and by over 20 with just over five minutes left in the first half before heading into the locker room up 41-22 – with Clark opening his night a perfect 6-for-6 from the field in his return to the starting five.
“I thought we had two really good practices, not just as a starting five but as a team, and I feel like that carried over into how we started,” Clark said. “My teammates trusted me and then just taking what the defense gave me.”
Meanwhile, the Blue Hose were kept to 8-for-25 from the field and 1-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half while a soulless “airball” chant from a few members of the UCLA crowd periodically echoed throughout Pauley Pavilion ahead of the break.
After a halftime filled with performances from the likes of UCLA Whistling, UCLA Chinese Music Ensemble and Synthesis Dance, the Bruins’ pummeling of the Blue Hose continued.
The Bruin lead reached 30 points with 14:26 remaining and 40 with 9:25.
After Presbyterian turned the ball over just five times to UCLA’s eight in the first half, the table turned as the former finished with six more turnovers than the latter. On the other hand, the Blue Hose outrebounded the Bruins over the final 20 minutes 17-15.
While Presbyterian’s shooting from the field improved slightly to 34.6% in the second half, its 3-point shooting remained the same – 1-for-10.
Senior guard Donovan Dent got back into the double-digit scoring column – where he has lived every game he has started this season – scoring 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting.
Redshirt sophomore guard/forward Brandon Williams – who started his first game since the 2023-24 campaign – finished with his highest point total since January 2024 with 11 on the night and added seven rebounds to tie him with fifth-year guard Jamar Brown for the team lead against Presbyterian.
“The best rebounder doesn’t think he’s too good to do it,” Cronin said. “He’s tough and he’s a worker, and that’s Brandon Williams.”
Brown, who got the start in place of Bilodeau, had nine points of his own on 3-for-6 shooting and tied sophomore guard Trent Perry with three steals.
Brown also found himself as the next man up when junior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. missed the season opener on Nov. 3 with an injury.
“(I’m) just getting better every day at practice,” Brown said. “Learning a lot from coaches. … Just progressing until we get to March Madness.”
By the end of it, the Bruins had benchwarmers like redshirt freshman guards Eric Freeny and Christian Horry, redshirt senior forward/center Anthony People II and redshirt junior guard Jack Seidler on the court with lone regular and sophomore guard Trent Perry, who finished with nine points, running the floor.
