UCLA (18-6, 9-4) beat Penn State (13-11, 3-10) 78-54 at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, handing the Nittany Lions their fifth consecutive loss.
The Bruins — winners of seven straight — forced PSU into 18 turnovers and scored 24 points off those takeaways,
Kobe Johnson (15 points, 13 rebounds and six assists), Skyy Clark (14 points), Sebastian Mack (14 points), and Tyler Bilodeau (11 points) all scored double digits for UCLA.
Zach Hicks led Penn State with 14 points while Ace Baldwin Jr. scored nine and had zero assists for the first time all season.
Overall, Penn State shot 38% from the field and 24% from 3. UCLA shot 47% from the field and 26% from deep.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.First-Half Moment: After a back-and-forth battle to start the game, Penn State used a 7-0 run to gain an early three-point advantage (11-8). But UCLA built a double-digit lead by halftime because of its defense. The Bruins forced nine Penn State turnovers (17 points off), including three straight that led to six transition points as a part of a 7-0 run at the 9:28 mark.
Second-Half Moment: Penn State scored eight unanswered points to start the half, but UCLA responded with a 19-2 run, earning a 20-point lead by the 12:08 mark.
Deciding Factor: UCLA dominated the turnover margin 18-4 and had a 24-0 advantage in points off takeaways.
Penn State will stay in the Los Angeles area for a matchup with USC on Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m.
