Now that felt like a college basketball game. The No. 22 UCLA Bruins dug deep to hold off the No. 5 Arizona Wildcats 84-75 in Las Vegas to begin the 2026-2027 season.
Maybe it was due to daylight saving time coming to an end over the weekend but Monday’s slugfest between two old Pac-12 teams just felt right
. The two teams played with extreme intensity for all 40 minutes, with both teams looking quite impressive in the season opener.Ultimately, it was UCLA who left Sin City with a victory, with guard Trent Perry leading the way with 21 points to hold off Ivan Kharchenkov and the Wildcats. With such a marquee win on opening night, Mick Cronin and UCLA deservedly got praise from across the country for their hard-fought win.
USA TODAY writer Jordan
Mendoza broke down UCLA’s noteworthy win.
“The Bruins started the college basketball season with the most impressive outing of opening night, notching the first top five upset of the season,” Mendoza wrote. “UCLA was an unknown, with no knowledge of how it would attack in what could be a slugfest or high-speed affair. It ended up being both − and UCLA punched the Wildcats right in the mouth.”
UCLA’s physicality knew no bounds, with the team committing 26 fouls but more importantly, won the rebounding battle and matched Arizona’s seven blocked shots with seven of their own.
The Bruins have talent. Perry and Jaylen Petty are a dangerous backcourt and Xavier Booker and Eric Dailey Jr. are both tough matchups for opposing defenses. Freshman Nikola Kusturica and Joe Philon III both give the Bruins some needed length at the wing positions. The UCLA depth makes them a scary matchup, which Arizona learned on Monday, as the Bruins controlled the game.
“The versatility of the Bruins shined in every way, showcasing a range of depth Mick Cronin has spent his entire tenure searching for. The new leader, Trent Perry, was a true floor general commanding the offense and taking matters into his own hands when needed. Serbian newcomer Nikola Kusturica wasn't hitting shots, but showcased a range of skills while playing nearly the entire game − without turning the ball over,” Mendoza wrote. “Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty was the sharpshooter with Eric Dailey Jr. and Xavier Booker knocking down critical shots.”
It was a great opening act for the Bruins but there’s a long way to go for the UCLA team that looks to be playing the brand of basketball that Cronin wants from his team.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA basketball showed plenty of toughness in the season opener
