This post was updated March 20 at 9:37 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Dunks.

Some with one hand and some with two.

Some created by nifty footwork and low-post movement, others by the sheer space a 7-foot-3 center can establish.

Whichever way it was, each finished with a cheeky smile from Aday Mara, and a hustle back to the paint where he does his other job – block shots.

Fueled by Mara’s 10 points and six rebounds, No. 7 seed UCLA men’s basketball (23-10, 13-7 Big Ten) trounced No. 10 seed Utah State (26-8, 15-5 Mountain West) by a score of 72-47 Thursday night at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The Bruins advance to a record of 15-1 when they hold opponents to 65 points or fewer. 

The sophomore phenom’s all-around performance came amid a sinus infection – one that traveled with him from Los Angeles.

“He’s been heavily medicated since we got on the plane to come here,” coach Mick Cronin said. “So I was really proud of him. You know, he’s come such a long way in two years, and that’s a credit to him.”

After the Aggies claimed four offensive rebounds in the first five minutes, additional inches seemed necessary for the Bruins underneath the basket to combat their foe’s dominance inside. 

UCLA’s rebounding issues – ones that are illustrated by its 152nd national ranking in rebounding margin – led to early and subsequently often substitutions of Mara throughout the contest.

While the Bruins’ admiral bagged boards for the Bruins, he was even more dominant protecting his team’s rim and pouncing on Utah State’s. 

The Spaniard blocked five Aggies shots and lit up the Rupp Arena scoreboard with two-hand finishes and extended stays hanging from the rim. Leveraging his presence – one that was marked by offensive dominance over the smaller Aggies – to draw defenders in the high post, he even found his guards in the key, dishing out two assists in 40 minutes. 

While it was UCLA’s tallest player that towered over the statsheet, a pair of undersized spark plugs gave the Bruins an equally valuable boost.

“He (Mara) put his head down, and he’s really, really worked hard for a young kid who never worked hard or played hard till he got to UCLA,” Cronin said. “He was just the prodigy, the size and the skill. So I’m really, really proud of him. I mean look at his numbers, five blocks, 10 points, six rebounds in 20 minutes. And I’m telling you he’s sick.”

The Bruins’ backcourt tandem – junior guards Dylan Andrews and Skyy Clark – were on point from the jump Thursday night. Not only did the duo combine for 22 points on efficient shooting – 53.8% from the field and 54.5% from beyond the arc – but they checked off the “small things” checklist.

“Dylan is a great player. He’s a great person,” Clark said. “Always have nothing but amazing things to say about him. His performance tonight definitely helped us. Those eight assists were huge, so I’m super proud of him.”

Fluidly leading the transition, the two California locals found and converted from their respective sweet spots, dished to their imposing big men and found all the tips and strips in the passing lanes to ignite easy transition buckets. 

The Bruins’ first- and third-leading scorers – junior forward Tyler Bilodeau and sophomore guard Sebastian Mack – combined for just nine points Thursday night after averaging 13.5 and 9.7 on the season, respectively.

But their Spanish hero and veteran backcourt duo all but compensated. 

And despite just two points in the first half, sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. refused to allow his early foul trouble to deter him from a second-half spark, tying Clark for a game-high 14 points while contributing four rebounds.

“I sat down for a little bit, but that didn’t change my mindset in the game at all. I know we had to win this game, stay locked in the second half,” Dailey said. “Just kind of got myself going, and some things were falling for me. So that’s all I can say about that. Just keep playing hard.”

Conversely, Aggie guards couldn’t spark much for their team, going 4-for-31 from beyond the arc, and while the Bruins have consistently ranked high in defensive efficiency – forcing turnovers with their persistent press and stifling man defense – March is the breeding grounds for streaky shooting. 

“I can sit here and say, ‘Oh, you know, our defense was awesome.’ They missed some shots, Ian (Utah State guard Ian Martinez) went 0-for-7, he probably had a few clean looks. It’s not always you,” Cronin said. “Sometimes the other team just … shoots the lights out. Sometimes they struggle. They were going to need to make shots to beat us.”

Maintaining defensive pressure on the perimeter may be paramount to UCLA’s Saturday matchup against No. 2 seed Tennessee – a squad led by future NBA Draft pick Chaz Lanier, who shoots 40% from three.

Despite the momentum the Bruins gained from their convincing victory over the Aggies, Saturday poses a completely different challenge.

“You change weight classes, so we’ll see,” Cronin said. “It’s a different animal. I’m really happy with our effort tonight, but we’ve been preparing all year for Saturday.”