This post was updated Dec. 23 at 7:12 p.m.

There are three guarantees in life.

Death, taxes and Tyler Bilodeau.

Over the Bruins’ last 45 games, there has been no one more reliable than the senior forward. Bilodeau led the squad in scoring last season with 13.5 points per game, but he has taken his game to another level in his senior year, averaging 17.5 on 50/40/90 shooting clips.

And Tuesday was no different.

Fueled by Bilodeau’s career-best 34 points – accumulated via 12-for-19 shooting from the field – UCLA men’s basketball (10-3, 2-0 Big Ten) steamrolled UC Riverside 97-65 (6-8, 1-1 Big West) Tuesday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion. The victory gave the Bruins a three-game winning streak before they embark on an 18-game Big Ten regular season slate beginning Jan. 3.

It was the Bilodeau show Tuesday afternoon with just two other starters reaching double-digit scoring and only three other Bruins garnering at least 10 points. Bilodeau’s 34 points were the most scored by a Bruin since guard Johnny Juzang logged 32 in 2021.

“They don’t double, so I said ‘Buddy, you got one night here where they are just going to let you keep dribbling until you shoot it, so go have fun,’” said coach Mick Cronin. “He’s not going to be played like that for the rest of the year, so I told him might as well keep going at the rim until you score.”

The senior forward took advantage of the smaller Riverside squad, dominating the interior and reaching into his low post toolkit to get open looks. But Bilodeau made his presence felt on all three levels.

He continued to excel from beyond the arc, knocking in four 3-point shot attempts. When he was not scoring in offensive sets, Bilodeau was putting his stamp on the game from the charity stripe, shooting 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

“I just got to keep trusting in my teammates and coaching staff, keep trusting my work, trying to play the right way, but the biggest thing I care about is winning, so whatever we need to do to get that done,” Bilodeau said.

While Riverside cut the UCLA lead to single digits on the first play of the second half, that was the last time the Highlanders were within 10 points for the remainder of the game – with the lead reaching its highest point at the final buzzer.

Other than Bilodeau, senior guard Skyy Clark also reached double-digit points, adding 14 on 6-for-14 shooting from the field but failing to convert from beyond the arc despite his 50%-plus clip entering the affair. Junior guard/forward Eric Dailey also saw a bounceback game, knocking in 13 points after dropping just 10, four and six over his last three games.

The Highlanders built their own grave, registering 22 turnovers that culminated in 23 Bruin points. Riverside entered the contest ranked No. 10, second-to-last, in the Big West in turnover margin, possessing a -3.0 mark and ranked last in the conference in steals per game with 4.7. 

[Related: UCLA men’s basketball prepares for UC Riverside game, final nonconference matchup]

An inability to generate turnovers and a lack of ball control created a lethal combination for Cronin’s squad, which feasts on turnover-happy teams and boasts a veteran backcourt that mitigates turning the ball over.

Apart from Clark’s three steals, fifth year guard Jamar Brown added four of his own while four Bruins also registered a takeaway.

UCLA’s stifling defense kept Riverside’s shooting splits to an inefficient 42.6% mark from the field and 3-for-15 shooting from beyond the arc.

And good defense always leads to better offense, with sophomore guard Trent Perry as the biggest beneficiary.

“Whatever the team needs I’ll do it,” Perry said. “Whatever lineup works. Tyler is at the five, he’s been playing a lot at the five recently, he’s been getting a lot of open looks. Three guard lineup, we have been pushing in transition a lot more, we are just finding the groove before the Big Ten, whatever it takes to win.”

Perry finished the victory with 14 points and seven assists on 3-for-6 shooting from the field – his best scoring output since logging 17 against California on Nov. 25.

If the Bruins are going to extend their win streak into the Big Ten, then contributions from all parts of the roster will be integral.

Cronin said that in the long term, all that matters is what the team becomes, not what it has been.

“All that matters is who you become, not the last game or the game previous to that,” Cronin said. “It’s not who you are now, it’s who you are at the end and can you get enough wins along the way, and who you become in the end, that’s what it’s about … We are trying to get better, a lot better.”

UCLA will play again on Jan. 3 against Iowa in Iowa City.