Eric Dailey Jr., UCLA hang on for victory over USC

Eric Dailey Jr. scored 16 points and Aday Mara recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds as visiting UCLA held off rival Southern California for an 82-76 win on Monday in Los Angeles.The Bruins (15-6, 6-4 Big Ten) led almost the entire game, pulling ahead on an early 10-0 run that gave them an edge they never relinquished.Playing without leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau, who turned his ankle in a win at Washington on Friday, UCLA relied on a balanced scoring effort.Sebastian Mack posted 14 points off the Bruins’ bench, while Dylan Andrews added 12 points and distributed a game-high-matching six assists. Every UCLA player who saw the floor posted at least four points, including Kobe Johnson in his return to the Galen Center.Johnson, a transfer from USC, shot 3-for-3 from the floor en route to seven points before fouling out.Johnson’s fifth and disqualifying foul came on a basket by Wesley Yates III with 1:54 to play. Yates hit the ensuing free throw, cutting the Trojans’ deficit, which had reached as many as 12 points in the second half, down to one.However, the Trojans (12-8, 4-5) could not fully bridge the gap thanks to Mack’s 3-pointer in response. Maya then rebounded a missed Chibuzo Agbo 3-point attempt on USC’s end, and Mack sank two free throws that effectively put the game away with 46 seconds left.