UCLA Routs Rival USC 89-68 in Regular Season Finale

Bruins head coach Mick Cronin praises bench play in victory ahead of Big Ten tournament

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The UCLA men's basketball team delivered a dominant offensive performance, routing crosstown rival USC 89-68 at the Galen Center to close out the regular season. Head coach Mick Cronin highlighted the strong play of the Bruins' bench, which provided a key first-half spark, while point guard Donovan Dent scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half. The Bruins will enter next week's Big Ten tournament in Chicago as the No. 6 seed.

Why it matters

This win over USC caps off the regular season for UCLA, which has had an up-and-down year defensively despite its offensive firepower. The Bruins will look to build momentum heading into the conference tournament, where they hope to secure an NCAA Tournament berth.

The details

The Bruins turned in a quality offensive performance, shooting 52.5% from the field and limiting USC to 42.9% shooting, including just 7-of-24 from 3-point range. Reserve guard Eric Freeny provided a big lift off the bench with 10 points, 5 rebounds and a steal in 17 minutes of action. Cronin, however, acknowledged that his team's defensive struggles have been an ongoing issue that they'll need to address.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 8, 2026 at the Galen Center.
  • UCLA will enter the Big Ten tournament in Chicago as the No. 6 seed next week.

The players

Mick Cronin

The head coach of the UCLA men's basketball team.

Donovan Dent

The starting point guard for UCLA, who scored a game-high 25 points.

Eric Freeny

A reserve guard for UCLA who provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, 5 rebounds and a steal.

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What they’re saying

“I thought our bench was the key today.”

— Mick Cronin, Head Coach (on3.com)

“You can go right back to who we were, which is a bad defensive team.”

— Mick Cronin, Head Coach (on3.com)

What’s next

The Bruins will look to carry the momentum from this win into the Big Ten tournament in Chicago next week, where they will be the No. 6 seed.

The takeaway

Despite their offensive firepower, UCLA has struggled defensively at times this season. This win over USC provides a boost heading into the postseason, but the Bruins know they need to shore up their defense if they hope to make a deep run in the conference tournament and secure an NCAA Tournament berth.