Skyy Clark shoots UCLA past Cal Poly after early defensive struggles

The good news early for UCLA on Friday night was the continued hot shooting of guard Skyy Clark. The bad news was its defense’s inability to slow down Cal Poly’s 3-point shooting in the first half.

Clark scored a season-high 30 points and the Bruins used a 21-6 run to open the second half and put away the Mustangs for a 108-87 nonconference victory at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA (9-3) got a 10-of-19 shooting performance from Clark, who was 6 of 12 behind the 3-point line. It’s the third time this season Clark has made six 3s in a game.

In all, six Bruins scored in double figures including 24 points from Tyler Bilodeau, 16 from Donovan Dent and 10 from Eric Dailey Jr. among the starters. Off the bench, Jamar Brown chipped in 14 and Trent Perry added 12.

Dent also had a season-high 11 assists to help the Bruins shoot 57.4%, including 21 of 34 from the field in the second half.

Cal Poly (5-8) shot 56% in the first half, including 9 of 17 on 3-point attempts, to take a two-point lead into the locker room. The Mustangs missed their first five attempts beyond the arc after halftime and were just 5 of 15 in the second half. Overall, Cal Poly was still 51% (26 of 51) from the field but ultimately dropped its third consecutive contest.

Mustangs guard Cayden Ward finished with a team-high 21 points, and the team shot 21 of 22 at the free-throw line.

The 14 made 3-pointers was the most against UCLA this season, eclipsing West Georgia’s total by one basket in a game last month. It marked the third time an opponent has made at least 11 3-pointers.

The Bruins, though, were hard to stop in the second half en route to a season-best scoring production. Their 65 points were the most scored by a UCLA team since tallying 66 against George Mason on Dec. 22, 1994.

UCLA, which has won back-to-back games, will host another Big West Conference opponent in a Tuesday matinee when UC Riverside visits for the final nonconference contest. Tip-off against the Highlanders is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will air on Big Ten Network.

The Bruins will resume Big Ten play after the new year.

UCLA postgame press conference

Head coach Mick Cronin, in addition to Clark, Dent and Bilodeau, addressed the media afterward:

Turning point of the game

Clark continued his hot shooting from the opening tip. He had eight of the Bruins’ first 11 points, including a pair of baskets from the arc.

His third 3-pointer ignited a 9-0 run, putting UCLA in front 22-17 with 9:21 left in the half.

Cal Poly, which opened the game 5 of 10 on 3-point attempts, ended a 5 1/2-minute drought from the field with back-to-back 3-pointers from Hamad Mousa and Kieran Elliott to retake the 26-24 lead.

Mousa was then fouled attempting a 3 and made all three free throws to build a five-point lead with 6:37 remaining in the half.

Mousa led the way as one of three double-digit scorers in the half for Cal Poly, which owned a 45-43 advantage at the break.

The Bruins clamped down defensively to start the second half, and Clark had seven more quick points during the momentum-shifting run.

UCLA never gave the lead back after the 18:35 mark.

UCLA standout on offense: G Skyy Clark

It was Clark’s fifth game this season with three or more 3-pointers and the fourth in the last five outings.

The only game in his career better was a 36-point outing while with Louisville against N.C. State in March 2024. Clark also made a career-high seven 3-pointers in that contest.

UCLA standout on defense: G/F Eric Dailey Jr.

Dailey took on the challenge of slowing down Mousa, who had 12 first-half points. In the second half, Mousa was just 1 of 4 from the field with two points.

Dailey had five of his six rebounds on the defensive glass to go with three steals.

Honorable mention goes to Dent, who tied a career high with five steals and set a new season high for his short time in a UCLA uniform.

Why UCLA won

The Bruins simply kept their shooting up longer than the Mustangs.

While UCLA locked in a bit more defensively to start the second half, putting together a complete game continues to be an issue for a team on the cusp of playing significantly stiffer competition.

Much to Cronin’s dismay, the team’s focus on the offensive production is at least producing results of late. How long the hot shooting keeps up, though, remains to be seen when inevitably punched in the proverbial mouth once again.