LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tyler Bilodeau scored 21 points and No. 15 UCLA overcame the absence of star guard Donovan Dent and West Georgia’s strong 3-point shooting to beat the Wolves 83-62 on Monday night.
Dent was held out in a precautionary move because of a muscle strain. The New Mexico transfer averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 assists and three rebounds in the Bruins’ first two wins of the season.
Bilodeau shot 7 of 12 from the field and made all six of his free throws. Trent Perry added 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds, and Eric Dailey Jr. had 14 points.
Sheldon Williams-Dryden scored 16 points to lead West Georgia (1-2), which lost to Big Ten opponent Nebraska 86-53 in its season opener. The Wolves shot 13 of 25 from 3-point range, led by Brady Hardewig with four.
The Wolves’ first five made baskets were 3-pointers around an 11-0 spurt by the Bruins. From there, the Wolves outscored UCLA 23-17 to trail 37-32 at halftime.
Perry scored five of UCLA’s first seven points in the second half, extending the lead to 44-34. The Wolves hit three 3s in a row — two by Chas Lewless — to close within five.
That’s when UCLA scored 10 in a row, including five by Bilodeau and a 3-pointer from Jamar Brown, for a 58-43 lead. The Bruins picked up their shooting in the second half, making 15 of 25 from the floor.
The Wolves cooled way down, going 4 of 12 on 3-pointers and 11 of 26 from the floor in the second half.
Up next
West Georgia hosts The Citadel on Friday.
UCLA plays former Pac-12 rival and fifth-ranked Arizona on Friday as part of a doubleheader at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
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By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
