This post was updated Feb. 24 at 12:02 a.m.

One arena. Two ceremonious celebrations. Pauley Pavilion played host to history twice in the span of two hours.

As the late Bruin legend Bill Walton’s loved ones graced the center of the court with UCLA alumni – including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Warren – to honor the life of an all-time great, coach Mick Cronin was 20 minutes away from a momentous honoring of his own.

As tie-dye shirts adorned the seats to the arena Walton often called home, UCLA men’s basketball (20-8, 11-6 Big Ten) downed Ohio State (15-13, 7-10) by a score of 69-61. Sunday afternoon’s victory marked Cronin’s 500th career win, making him the youngest active head coach to reach the milestone. 

“We understood what the day was,” said junior guard Skyy Clark. “We knew that we had a chance to get his 500th win. Also, it was Bill Walton day today, so we knew how much this day meant. You could just feel the energy the whole day.”

Despite the celebrations, scoring droughts and whistles left Cronin and the Bruin faithful with little to cheer for in the early goings. And it stayed that way until junior forward Willam Kyle III entered off the bench, injecting life into Pauley Pavilion by turning away a pair of Buckeye attempts. 

Free throws – which sunk UCLA in its collapse against Minnesota on Tuesday night – remained a struggle for the Bruins, posting a 2-for-5 mark from the line in the opening period. 

However, when Eric Dailey Jr. came up empty on a trip to the line, Bruin supporters answered Cronin’s plea to fans. Instead of anxious murmurs reverberating around the arena, claps and cheers filled the void.

“I ain’t even hear it, honestly. Nah, I’m just playing. I heard it, I heard it,” Dailey said. “That’s what we need when we’re at home – we need encouragement.”

And perhaps thanks to encouragement from the fans, the sophomore guard/forward found his stroke. 

Dailey drilled a pair of 3s in quick succession, but the lead stayed relatively stagnant as Buckeye guard Bruce Thornton reeled the Bruins back in with sharpshooting of his own.  

Thornton – Ohio State’s leading scorer on the season, averaging 17.1 points per game – kept his unit within striking distance, posting 10 of his team’s 24 first half points. 

But behind Dailey, the Bruins maintained their advantage. 

“Eric works unbelievably hard. He’s the hardest practicer every day, and he’s got toughness. He’s not mentally soft, so things don’t bother him,” Cronin said. “He’s got belief in himself because of the work he puts in.”

The Oklahoma State transfer finished the afternoon with a team-leading 20 points to go along with eight rebounds – his first double-digit scoring output this month. 

Sophomore center Aday Mara came alive in the second half – along with Pauley Pavilion – ending one rebound shy of his second career double-double.

“He (Walton) was always telling me, ‘Be patient. Just work, and your time will come,’” Mara said. “He was an amazing person, so for me, this game meant a lot.” 

Clark – who departed midway through the first half after turning his right ankle but later returned – also emerged in the second stanza after a scoreless first. His trio of 3s, including the dagger to put the Bruins up nine with less than a minute remaining, sentenced the Buckeyes to their third consecutive defeat.

However, for the 9,000-plus fans, UCLA’s victory was just the dessert. The main course was honoring Walton’s legacy. 

“For me, today’s about number 32,” Cronin said.