LOS ANGELES — Eric Dailey Jr. made a significant impact by scoring 20 points in a noteworthy match where UCLA coach Mick Cronin celebrated his 500th career win. The Bruins secured a 69-61 victory against Ohio State on Sunday.
Cronin, currently in his sixth year at UCLA, has accumulated 135 victories with the Bruins. Before this, he had impressive tenures that included 296 wins at his alma mater, Cincinnati, and 69 victories at Murray State. His overall coaching record stands at an impressive 500 wins against 232 losses over the span of 22 seasons.
After leading by four points at halftime, Dailey dominated the early part of the second half, scoring the Bruins’ first nine points and establishing a 39-30 lead within the initial four minutes. Although the Buckeyes narrowed the gap to just two points at 39-37, UCLA regained momentum thanks to two pivotal three-pointers from Skyy Clark, extending their lead to nine.
The Bruins then pushed their advantage to 13 points with three minutes remaining. Ohio State attempted a late comeback and managed to bring the score to 67-61 after John Mobley Jr. sank a three-pointer with 22 seconds left. However, Clark sealed UCLA’s victory by making two free throws.
Besides Dailey’s scoring, Clark contributed 13 points, while Sebastian Mack added 11 and Aday Mara chipped in with 10 for UCLA (20-8, 11-6 Big Ten), who have triumphed in nine of their last eleven games.
On the other side, Bruce Thornton led Ohio State (15-13, 7-10) with 21 points, while Micah Parrish scored 12. The Buckeyes have encountered difficulties, losing four out of their last five matches.
Dailey’s performance helped UCLA take a 17-15 lead with a layup seven minutes before halftime, followed by a three-pointer that increased the lead to 20-15. At the end of the first half, UCLA was ahead 28-24.
Throughout the game, UCLA paid tribute to the late Bill Walton, who passed away in May 2024 after a battle with cancer. Another UCLA great, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, praised Walton in a recent interview with CBS.
Ohio State will remain in Los Angeles to face USC on Wednesday, while UCLA is set to visit No. 13 Purdue on Friday.
