UCLA is back to its winning ways after beating the Pepperdine Waves 100-53

UCLA Bruins #3 Adem Bona (F) two-handed power dunk against the Pepperdine Waves. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

WESTWOOD, CA - After dropping two games in a roll, one to Illinois and the other to Baylor in the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas, the Pac-12 UCLA Bruins (4-2) hosted the Pepperdine Waves (4-2) from the WCC and defeated them 100-53 on Thanksgiving Eve at Pauley Pavilion.

Six UCLA players scored in double figures, Amari Bailey with 19 points, Jamie Jaquez Jr. with 17 points, David Singleton with 13 points, Jayen Clark with 12 points, and Tyger Campbell with 11 points.

Houston Mallette and Jan Zidek, each with 13 points, led Pepperdine in scoring, followed by Maxwell Lewis with 10 points.

UCLA's head coach Mick Cronin liked the effort from his team on defense against Pepperdine more than the games against Baylor and Illinois.

''Our effort was much better, and I'm a big believer in that,'' coach Mick Cronin said. ''I didn't think we played harder than our opponents in Vegas, and I take that personally.''

Pepperdine Waves # 0 Houston Mallette (G) shooting a jump shot over UCLA Bruins #24 Jaime Jaquez Jr. (G). Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

The Bruins led 4-0 in the first half after a jump shot by Jaylen Clark and a dunk by Adem Bona. UCLA led 8-0 with a Jump shot by Tyger Campbell. Jevone Porter's jump shot had Pepperdine trailing 8-6.

The Waves would trail 12-11 after a three-pointer by Houston Mallette. Pepperdine led 14-12 after Mallette knocked down another three-point shot. The Bruins tied the game 14-14 when Jamie Jaquez Jr. made a jump shot.

UCLA regained the lead 16-14 with a driving layup by Clark. The Bruins went on an 8-2 run and now led 24-16, capped off with a dunk by Clark.

Pepperdine would trail UCLA 31-18 with a jump shot by Mallette with 6:21 left in the first half.

UCLA Bruins #5 Amari Bailey scored a career-high 19 points against the Pepperdine Waves. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

Pepperdine trailed by ten points, 33-23, after another three-pointer by Mallette. Amari Bailey's back-to-back three-pointers gave UCLA a 41-26 lead.

Mike Mitchell Jr. would make a three-point shot to make the score 41-29 with 1:35 before halftime. The Bruins would lead at halftime 43-29 with two free throws by Campbell.

The Bruins leading scorer in the first half was Bailey with 12-points, Campbell and Clark both had 8-points, and David Singleton with 7-points. Mallette led Pepperdine in scoring with 13 points and Zidek with 5 points.

The Bruins did a great job of taking care of the basketball in the first half, committed only four turnovers, and The Waves committed eleven turnovers.

UCLA Bruins #0 Jaylen Clark (G) driving to the paint from top of the key for a layup. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

UCLA led 56-23 in the second half after Bailey made another three-point shot, forcing Pepperdine to call a time-out. Jaquez Jr, with his step-back jump shot from the left side of the court, made the score 61-35.

Pepperdine would trail 64-39 with a layup by Maxwell Lewis with 13:50 left in the game. Back-to-back layups by Jaquez Jr. gave UCLA a 71-39 lead.

Singleton's three-pointer increased the Bruins' lead up to 80-46 with 7:17 left in the game. Abramo Canka's three-point shot in front of his bench made the score 84-46.

Mac Etienne flashed to the basket for a left-hand layup and gave UCLA a 88-47. Pepperdine trailed 93-52 after Mitchell made another three-point shot with 2:30 left in the game.

Dylan Andrews completed the three-point play after being fouled on his made basket, and Michael Moore's three-pointer just before the horn went off gave UCLA a 100-53 victory over the Waves.

The Bruins dominated the Waves in the paint scoring 46 points, the Waves 16 points, and the Bruins from three-point range 10 for 20 for 50. percent, and the Waves 7 of 31 for 22.6 percent.