Johnson posts a double-double as UCLA feasts on Penn State turnovers for 7th straight win, 78-54
AP
Feb 08, 2025
LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Johnson scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his first career double-double and UCLA Bruins turned in a dominant 78-54 win over Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.
The Bruins forced 18 Penn State turnovers, turning them into 24 points. UCLA turned the ball over just four times.
UCLA (18-6, 9-4) won its seventh straight game, a streak that includes wins over No. 21 Wisconsin, then-No. 16 Oregon and No. 9 Michigan State.
Zach Hicks sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a pair of free throws to help the Nittany Lions (13-11, 3-10) take 16-14 lead midway through the first half, but Tyler Bilodeau scored at the basket and Skyy Clark and Johnson each dunked following a Penn State turnover as the Bruins went on a 10-0 run to take a 25-16 lead that ballooned to a 44-31 advantage at intermission.
Johnson hit 7 of 12 from the field, including 0-for-3 from distance, and added six assists, four steals and a blocked shot to his totals. Clark was 6 of 7 from the floor and added 14 points and Sebastian Mack added another 14 points off the UCLA bench. Bilodeau contributed 11 points. The Bruins shot 47% from the floor (31 of 66) and had 21 assists and 13 steals.
Penn State, which lost its fifth straight game and ninth in its last 10, shot 38% for the game (19 of 50) and was 11 of 12 from the free throw line. Hicks was the lone double-digit scorer with 14 points and eight rebounds.
The victory leaves UCLA coach Mick Cronin just two wins shy of his 500th career victory.
UCLA travels to face No. 23 Illinois on Tuesday. Penn State takes on USC on Tuesday.
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1st Half
PSU
Nittany Lions
31
UCLA
Bruins
44
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Kachi Nzeh vs. Tyler Bilodeau (Nittany Lions gains possession)
19:44
Zach Hicks misses three point jump shot
19:42
Skyy Clark defensive rebound
19:27
+2
Kobe Johnson makes two point layup (Skyy Clark assists)
0-2
18:55
Skyy Clark shooting foul (D'Marco Dunn draws the foul)
18:55
+1
D'Marco Dunn makes regular free throw 1 of 2
1-2
18:55
+1
D'Marco Dunn makes regular free throw 2 of 2
2-2
18:40
Skyy Clark misses three point jump shot
18:38
Nick Kern Jr. defensive rebound
18:28
Nick Kern Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Eric Dailey Jr. steals)
18:20
+3
Skyy Clark makes three point jump shot (Eric Dailey Jr. assists)
2-5
17:56
+2
Nick Kern Jr. makes two point jump shot
4-5
17:42
Kachi Nzeh personal foul (Tyler Bilodeau draws the foul)
17:40
Nick Kern Jr. personal foul (Eric Dailey Jr. draws the foul)
17:40
Eric Dailey Jr. misses regular free throw 1 of 2
17:40
+1
Eric Dailey Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2
4-6
17:24
D'Marco Dunn misses two point layup
17:22
Eric Dailey Jr. defensive rebound
17:03
+2
Skyy Clark makes two point layup
4-8
16:29
Nick Kern Jr. misses three point jump shot
16:27
Bruins defensive rebound
16:12
Tyler Bilodeau misses two point jump shot
16:10
Zach Hicks defensive rebound
15:57
+2
Zach Hicks makes two point layup (Miles Goodman assists)
6-8
15:41
Tyler Bilodeau misses two point jump shot
15:37
Nittany Lions defensive rebound
15:37
TV timeout
15:14
Aday Mara blocks D'Marco Dunn's two point jump shot
15:12
Sebastian Mack defensive rebound
14:57
Dylan Andrews misses three point jump shot
14:55
Zach Hicks defensive rebound
14:48
+3
Zach Hicks makes three point jump shot (Nick Kern Jr. assists)
9-8
14:20
Lazar Stefanovic misses three point jump shot
14:18
Nick Kern Jr. defensive rebound
13:57
Ace Baldwin Jr. misses two point jump shot
13:55
Nittany Lions offensive rebound
13:46
Sebastian Mack shooting foul (Zach Hicks draws the foul)
13:46
+1
Zach Hicks makes regular free throw 1 of 2
10-8
13:46
+1
Zach Hicks makes regular free throw 2 of 2
11-8
13:25
Dylan Andrews misses two point jump shot
13:23
Aday Mara offensive rebound
13:17
+2
Eric Dailey Jr. makes two point jump shot (Aday Mara assists)
11-10
12:54
Freddie Dilione V misses two point layup
12:52
Kachi Nzeh offensive rebound
12:51
+2
Kachi Nzeh makes two point layup
13-10
12:36
+2
Eric Dailey Jr. makes two point jump shot
13-12
12:25
Dominick Stewart turnover (bad pass) (Eric Dailey Jr. steals)
12:14
+2
Sebastian Mack makes two point layup
13-14
11:47
Lazar Stefanovic personal foul (Kachi Nzeh draws the foul)
11:47
TV timeout
11:33
+3
Zach Hicks makes three point jump shot (Freddie Dilione V assists)
16-14
11:13
Jahvin Carter shooting foul (Sebastian Mack draws the foul)
11:13
Sebastian Mack misses regular free throw 1 of 2
11:13
+1
Sebastian Mack makes regular free throw 2 of 2
16-15
10:44
Jahvin Carter misses three point jump shot
10:42
Tyler Bilodeau defensive rebound
10:17
+2
Tyler Bilodeau makes two point layup (Kobe Johnson assists)