UCLA Beats Rutgers 72-59, Dent Posts Triple-Double

UCLA advanced to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Conference Tournament with a 72-59 victory over Rutgers on Thursday night at the United Center in Chicago. The sixth-seeded Bruins relied on standout play from Donovan Dent, who recorded the first triple-double in tournament history, to overcome a sloppy performance and secure their second win outside the Pacific Time Zone this season.

Dent, a senior guard, finished with 12 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, becoming the fifth UCLA player to achieve the feat, joining Bill Walton in 1973, Jelani McCoy and Toby Bailey in 1995, and Kyle Anderson in 2013. His all-around dominance included an over-the-shoulder save of a loose ball while falling out of bounds and an offensive rebound that led to an assist. Teammate Tyler Bilodeau led UCLA in scoring with 21 points, while Trent Perry added 12 points and Eric Dailey Jr. contributed 10. The Bruins improved to 22-10 overall and won for the fifth time in their last six games.

The game began with both teams struggling offensively, trading scoreless stretches in the first half. UCLA and Rutgers each shot just 31 percent from the field before the break, but the Bruins built a 30-24 halftime...