This post was updated Feb. 25 at 12:22 a.m.

The Battle for Los Angeles. The Crosstown Cup. The LA Showdown.

Whatever the game’s nickname is, everything else stays the same.

Fans adorned in – some even painted with – blue and gold pack Pauley Pavilion regardless of each team’s record. Students wait outside the arena the night before, going sleepless to get the best seats in the house. Boos and jeers antagonize any person wearing red and gold.

The anticipation, intensity and emotion are palpable.

And Donovan Dent felt it all. 

The senior guard – coming off the heels of his historic buzzer-beating game-winner against No. 10 Illinois on Saturday – was wreathed in Westwood glory Tuesday night as he led UCLA men’s basketball (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten) to an 81-62 trouncing of crosstown rival USC (18-10, 7-10) at Pauley Pavilion. The Riverside local finished the rivalry matchup with a team-high 30 points.

Dent’s magic from Saturday night – when he notched 14 points and 15 assists to go along with zero turnovers – seemed to carry over into Tuesday evening’s contest.

While he did not match his prolific night facilitating for his teammates, he produced the best individual offensive night of his Bruin tenure – knocking down 62.5% of his field goal attempts and going 5-for-6 on his 3-point attempts. His long-range prowess marked the highest number of 3-pointers he has hit in his four-year collegiate career.

The former New Mexico star appeared unstoppable, not only nailing difficult shots from deep, but carving through the Trojan defense, splitting through defenders in transition at top speed and manipulating his primary defender on the pick and roll with quick changes of direction and pace.

After an up-and-down season, Tuesday seemed like the pinnacle of Dent’s redemption arc, as he sparked the Bruins’ win in a rivalry matchup that featured two schools from his backyard.

“I just feel proud,” Dent said. “You feel proud of yourself, all your hard work in the gym, all the hours people don’t see fit for you to get in a groove like this. It’s what you work out for, it’s what you practice for, it’s what you do everything for.”

And from tipoff to the final buzzer, it seemed like Dent was ready for his moment.

Just minutes after the Illinois match and UCLA’s biggest comeback in program history – also the second biggest in Big Ten history – Dent made it clear that no extra encouragement would be needed to come ready Tuesday night.

“That’s an easy one to have intensity for,” Dent said. “It’s a rivalry game. You get up for those games. You have to be ready. But for us, these last four games that we have left in the regular season, we have to have intensity for all of them. Our season’s on the line right now. We have to play with everything we have. We’re in desperation mode right now.”

Mirroring Dent, Trojan guard/forward Chad Baker-Mazara seemed to feel all of the intensity of the rivalry, despite only joining USC this past offseason after leaving Auburn.

And Baker-Mazara seemed to channel all of the crowd’s animosity Tuesday night.

“It took us a while to pull away – they’re a very athletic team, obviously Baker-Mazara is a potent offensive player that can turn your lights out – but I’m proud of the guys,” said coach Mick Cronin. “They got the job done. This late in the year, guys, you’re just trying to win and stay healthy.” 

The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, local knocked down five of his nine 3-point attempts while shooting 50% from the field en route to 25 points alongside eight rebounds. Baker-Mazara was one of just two Trojan double-digit scorers.

“If I’m having a great night, and he’s (Baker-Mazara) having a great night, it’s fine, but I feel like my teammates around me are going to have an even better night than his teammates,” Dent said. “So that’s my mindset with it. I don’t really try to go back and forth with it.”

Central to the Bruins’ rivalry victory was their stifling defense, particularly given the Trojans prowess on the boards.

“I’m well aware you guys are going to ask about rebounding – as I tell people, you can’t be great at everything and we’re surely not,” Cronin said.

Even though the Trojans won the rebounding battle 41-31 – and garnered nine offensive boards – UCLA held USC to a 35% field goal percentage and just 8-for-26 shooting from beyond the arc.

Forward Ezra Ausar – the Trojans’ second leading scorer behind Baker-Mazara – finished the night with just six points on 3-for-9 shooting from the field.

Ausar entered the contest ranked ninth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in free throw attempts, averaging 8.2 per game – just 0.4 less than his field goal attempts per game. But against UCLA, the senior went without a single attempt, highlighting the Bruins’ ability to play disciplined defense against otherwise aggressive scorers.

“I have massive respect for Ausar,” Cronin said. “I was on my staff about he wasn’t on our portal list. He’s a super tough kid, and he’s aggressive. I just love guys who play hard. Guy plays so hard, we didn’t put him on the foul line. We tried to get as many people in there as we could, because he’s an elite finisher around the rim.”

The Bruins’ continued defensive tenacity and Dent’s offensive prowess since the Illinois upset continued into Tuesday night, and it seemed like everyone felt it.

Dent.

The Bruins.

And every single fan at Pauley Pavilion.

“It’s a blast,” Dent said. “The students are in here an hour before the game, giving us energy – those are the types of games you want to play in college. That’s a fun atmosphere.”