The opponent does not matter.

In sports, but especially college basketball, it can be anyone’s night on any given day.

And the Bruins saw that firsthand against the Mustangs Friday.

“Our guys weren’t ready for it,” said coach Mick Cronin. “I don’t think they understood the extent of Cal Poly’s commitment to that style. Obviously, we had a scouting report, we watched film, we talked about it, and I told them they are going to shoot more threes tonight than they usually do because they know that’s their chance to win.”

While the Bruins were victorious Friday night, the first half – which culminated with the Bruins down two points to a team two games under .500 – was a wake-up call.

And Tuesday afternoon, fans will see if the alarm clock kept UCLA men’s basketball (9-3, 2-0 Big Ten) awake or if the squad hit snooze when it faces UC Riverside (6-7, 1-1 Big West) at Pauley Pavilion. A win could give the Bruins a three-game winning streak before they embark on an 18-game conference slate to end the 2025-26 regular season.

While Cal Poly’s 3-point shooting challenged UCLA’s defense, Riverside shoots an even more efficient 35.3% from beyond the arc – third in the Big West.

Leading the efforts from deep are guards De’Undrae Perteete Jr. and Andrew Henderson, who shoot 65.6% and 37.6% from 3-point land, respectively.

The Bruin backcourt – led by senior guards Skyy Clark and Donovan Dent and sophomore guard Trent Perry – could have its hands full following the Highlander shooters if it does not learn from its tribulations against the Mustangs.

However, while Riverside excels from deep, it struggles with winning the turnover battle.

The Highlanders rank No. 10 in the Big West in turnover margin with a -3.00 mark and rank dead last in the conference in steals with 4.7 per game.

A Cronin-led defense, which ranks sixth in the Big Ten in steals with seven per contest, could be a recipe for disaster for the Highlanders.

If the Bruins are able to disrupt the Highlanders’ 3-point shooting with its defensive tenacity and pressure, it could fuel the likes of Clark, Dent and senior forward Tyler Bilodeau – all of who have been on an offensive tear since the start of December.

Dent has racked up two double-doubles, excelling at finding open teammates and facilitating the Big Ten’s best 3-point shooting offense. He has also scored double-digit points in every single game since his season-low three points against California Nov. 25.

Bilodeau has failed to score less than double digits since Nov. 18 and has scored 20-plus in three out of the last five – all while shooting 53.3% from the field and 44.7% from beyond the arc.

And Clark has notched two different Bruin-highs in scoring in December, garnering 25 against Washington in Seattle, Washington, and 30 against Cal Poly Friday. The Los Angeles local is also seeing a career year from 3-point land, registering a 51.6% clip on 5.3 attempts per game.

If the Bruins are going to roll into conference play on a hot streak and dispel any rumors of a sleeping UCLA squad, it is going to come down to sustained production from the aforementioned players.

Tip-off is at 1 p.m.