UCLA men’s basketball puts on a historically smothering display

Five days after easily notching triple digits in a blowout victory, the UCLA men’s basketball team showed what its defense could do.

A lot.

Smothering Arkansas-Pine Bluff with full-court pressure and halfcourt traps Wednesday night, the Bruins made so much as a clean pass difficult.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff guard Jai’chaunn Hayes, center, handles the ball against UCLA forward Nikola Kusturica, left, and guard Jaylen Petty on Nov. 11, 2026. AP Photo/Ryan Sun

The Lions’ memories of the lockdown effort will involve flailing arms and multiple bodies in their way. Nearly every effort proved futile, particularly during the first half of ninth-ranked UCLA’s 106-37 victory at Pauley Pavilion.

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The 69-point margin of victory set a program record, topping a trio of 65-point blowouts, the last coming against Portland in 1967 when the Bruins’ roster featured Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Lucius Allen and Lynn Shackelford.

“Speechless,” UCLA point guard Trent Perry said after scoring 11 points to go with a career-high 11 assists. “I mean, that wasn’t something that we’re aiming for, but we’ll take it.”

There was also history made in the first half. Almost every Arkansas-Pine Bluff possession came up empty on the way to scoring only nine points by the game’s midpoint.

Take your pick of things that went wrong amid the Bruins’ relentless pressure.

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The Lions (0-3) made only 3 of 21 shots – missing all 9 3-pointers – while committing 21 turnovers in falling behind 51-9.

It tied for the fewest points UCLA (3-0) had allowed since at least the 1975-76 season after the Bruins also held Howard to nine points in the first half during a game here in December 1983.

UCLA forward Joe Philon III (7) reacts after a dunk against Arkansas-Pine Bluff during an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Ryan Sun

The 42-point halftime margin was also a rarity, representing UCLA’s largest lead at that point in the game since at least the 2012-13…

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Publish date : 2026-11-12 04:19:00

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