Here’s a quick glance at everything that happened across UCLA athletics this past week …
Men’s Basketball
UCLA 69, Purdue 67 — Jan. 20
UCLA men’s basketball (13-6, 5-3 Big Ten) delivered one of its biggest wins of the season, upsetting No.4 Purdue 69-67 Tuesday night at a sold-out Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins snapped the Boilermakers’ nine-game winning streak behind a dominant performance from senior guard Donovan Dent, who finished with 23 points and 13 assists, while junior forward Eric Dailey Jr. added 12 points and seven rebounds. After Purdue held a late 67-61 lead, UCLA scored the final seven points, capped by senior forward Tyler Bilodeau’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds left to secure the comeback victory.
UCLA 71, Northwestern 64 — Jan. 24
UCLA men’s basketball (14-6, 6-3 Big Ten) secured its second home victory of the week with a 71-64 win over Northwestern on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins gained separation in the first half behind strong outside shooting and active play in transition, building a double-digit halftime lead. UCLA maintained control after the break by attacking the rim, generating second-chance opportunities and converting turnovers into points. Although Northwestern made several late runs, the Bruins responded with timely baskets and key defensive stops to preserve the win, continuing their momentum in Big Ten play.
Women’s Basketball
UCLA 96, Purdue 48 — Jan. 21
No.3 UCLA women’s basketball (18-1, 8-0 Big Ten) delivered a dominant 96-48 victory over Purdue on Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion, controlling the game from the opening tip. The Bruins set the tone early with stifling defense and efficient offense, building a commanding lead by halftime and never letting Purdue gain momentum. Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez led all scorers with 25 points, while senior guard Kiki Rice posted a well-rounded performance and senior center Lauren Betts anchored the paint on both ends.
UCLA 80, Northwestern 46 — Jan. 25
No.3 UCLA women’s basketball (19-1, 9-0 Big Ten) stayed perfect in Big Ten play Sunday, cruising past Northwestern 80-46 at Welsh-Ryan Arena for its eighth straight conference win. The Bruins set the tone early with strong defense, forcing 20 turnovers and converting them into 31 points. Jaquez led the offense with 19 points, while Rice added 15 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double.
Men’s Volleyball
UCLA 3, Fort Valley State 0 — Jan. 22
No.1 UCLA men’s volleyball (5-0, 1-0 MPSF) remained unbeaten Thursday night, sweeping Fort Valley State in straight sets at Pauley Pavilion, 25-21, 25-17, 25-15. After a competitive opening set, the Bruins took control behind consistent serving, strong blocking and balanced attacking. Senior OH Zach Rama and sophomore OH Sean Kelly led UCLA with nine kills apiece, while senior middle blocker Cameron Thorne added key points at the net and senior setter Andrew Rowan directed the offense with 24 assists.
UCLA 3, UC San Diego 0
No.1 UCLA men’s volleyball (6-0, 1-0 MPSF) stayed undefeated Friday night with a straight-sets win over No.11 UC San Diego in La Jolla, taking the match 25-21, 25-21, 28-26. The Bruins controlled the tempo throughout the night, using efficient attacking and steady defense to keep UCSD at bay. Rama led UCLA with 16 kills, while Kelly added 11, and the Bruins improved their hitting efficiency in each set to close out the sweep.
Women’s Water Polo
UCLA 14, California 11
No.3 UCLA women’s water polo opened its 2026 season with a 14–11 exhibition win over No. 4 California on Saturday morning at Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley. While the result did not count toward the regular-season record, the Bruins made a strong first impression against top-10 competition.
UCLA 10, Stanford 18
UCLA closed out the day with an exhibition matchup against No.1 Stanford, falling 18–10 later Saturday afternoon. Despite the loss, the Bruins showed offensive depth, as senior attacker Taylor Smith and sophomore attacker Tali Stryker each scored four goals. The two exhibition contests against elite opponents provided an early test for UCLA as it prepared to begin regular-season play.
UCLA 14, Fresno State 6
UCLA women’s water polo opened the weekend with a decisive 14–6 win over Fresno State, taking control early with a 5–1 first-quarter lead fueled by goals from Smith, Stryker and senior utility Anna Pearson. Balanced scoring across the lineup and consistent pressure allowed UCLA to close out the contest comfortably and secure the eight-goal victory.
UCLA 18, Long Beach State 7
The Bruins followed up with an 18–7 win over Long Beach State, again setting the tone from the opening whistle. UCLA built a 5–2 first-quarter lead before scoring five straight goals in the second period to take a commanding 10–2 halftime advantage. The Bruins continued to apply pressure in the second half, stretching the lead to 14–5 after three quarters behind goals from Stryker, sophomore attacker Jojo Walters, redshirt freshman attacker Ana Pieper and junior attacker Becca Melanson, then added four more goals in the final period to close out the win and complete a dominant weekend sweep.
Gymnastics
UCLA 197.425, Michigan State 196.900 — Jan. 25
No.5 UCLA women’s gymnastics continued its strong start to 2026 with a 197.425-196.900 win over No.21 Michigan State on Sunday in East Lansing. Senior Jordan Chiles starred again, scoring a perfect 10.000 on floor—the seventh of her career and her first perfect mark of the year, while also contributing a 9.975 on vault. The Bruins posted season highs on vault and floor, with standout performances from junior Katelyn Rosen, senior Ciena Alipio, freshman Tiana Sumanasekera and junior Sydney Barros, who notched career-best scores.
Baseball
UCLA Baseball Alumni Game — Jan. 24
The UCLA Baseball Alumni team beat the current Bruins 5-4 on Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium in the annual Alumni Game, marking a second straight win for the former players. The exhibition brought together former and current Bruins, including several MLB standouts, celebrating the program’s history and tradition while providing a competitive tune-up ahead of the regular season.
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Featured Composite Image by Nathaniel Luong/BruinLife
