This post was updated Jan. 24 at 7:04 p.m.

When the shot mattered most, Tyler Bilodeau found the net. 

But just because it was not the winning basket, did not mean the senior forward would stop sinking shots.

Powered by a near-perfect night from Bilodeau – where he scored 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field and a 50% 3-point percentage – UCLA men’s basketball (14-6, 6-3 Big Ten) trounced Northwestern (9-11, 1-8) 71-64 Saturday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion, increasing its unbeaten home record to 12-0.

“Tyler has been battling sickness,” said coach Mick Cronin. “Tyler couldn’t get his breath most of the night but still went 7-for-11.”

UCLA pulled off its first top-5 upset since Jan. 25, 2022, Tuesday, defeating No. 4 Purdue – courtesy of a go-ahead 3-pointer from Bilodeau. 

But the magic from Tuesday’s upset did not just fade away; it only amplified Saturday, where Bilodeau continued to illustrate his offensive dominance. The 6-foot-9 forward did not miss a shot until seven minutes remained, sinking four 3-point shots in the first half. He has notched 13 consecutive double-digit scoring games and has yet to dip below 10 points since a win over Sacramento State on Nov. 18.

“To get these two wins this week, that’s big,” Bilodeau said. “We just have to keep building, keep working on those things – rebounding, little defensive mishaps.”

Bilodeau’s night soiled the Wildcats’ first return to Pauley Pavilion since 1948, and they were sent back to Evanston, Illinois, with their eighth conference loss. 

And the momentum from the Bruins’ first-ranked win of the season seemed to affect more than just Bilodeau.

Dent followed up, arguably, his best performance of the season – where he garnered 23 points and 13 assists Tuesday – logging 13 points, five assists and four rebounds on a 50% shooting percentage from the field. 

“He and I are working on his free throws,” Cronin said. “His problem is he lets Play A affect Play B, or Shot A affects Shot B. You can’t be like that in life or as a student athlete. … He’s getting better at it, though.”

The Riverside local was instrumental in transition and the facilitation of the offense, carving up the Wildcat defense on the break, and finding the open shooter with cross-court passes on his drive and kicks to the paint.

Perry – Dent’s backcourt partner and a starter since senior guard Skyy Clark went down with a hamstring injury against Iowa on Jan. 3 – has continued his sophomore season leap, registering double-digit points in seven of the last nine games. 

“We can win without Skyy and keep winning until we can get him back,” Cronin said. “He’s doing everything he can and we’re just trying to hold down the fort until we can get him back.”

Clark, who was averaging 13.5 points per game on 48.6% shooting, was replaced by Perry in the starting lineup. Since, Perry has averaged 15.8 points on 43.1% shooting, as well as playing 38 minutes in the upset against the Boilermakers.

Last season, the West Covina, California, local averaged 3.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game with 11.3 minutes per game off the bench. Against the Wildcats, he went on to put up 18 on 6-for-12 shooting, playing the most minutes of the squad with 35.  

“Trent didn’t go to Harvard-Westlake as a basketball recruit,” Cronin said. “He went as a student and became a basketball player. Smart guys talk out there. … Guys that think quick, they can talk and see things because they’re smart.” 

With seven minutes to go in the affair, Bilodeau missed his first shot of the night – a 3-point jumper rebounded by UCLA. He went on to miss an additional trio of 3-pointers, but he still led the team from the arc. 

Led by his near-perfect shooting record, the Bruins continued their home-game win streak 71-64 over the Wildcats.

UCLA will make a brief trip up the coast to Oregon before returning to Pauley Pavilion next Saturday against Indiana.