LOS ANGELES – Anthony Dell’Orso scored 20 points off the bench, including four 3-pointers and two game-sealing free throws with 17 seconds left, to help Arizona beat UCLA 69-65 at the Intuit Dome on Friday.
Jaden Bradley added 15 points, four rebounds and three assists, while making several clutch plays down the stretch for the Wildcats. Of UA's centers, Motiejus Krivas added 10 points and eight rebounds -- while assisting Bradley for a critical late 3-pointer -- while Tobe Awaka had eight points and 10 rebounds.
Dell'Orso, who added three assists and two rebounds while making 4 of 7 3s and 4 of 4 free throws, was named the MVP of the game sponsored by the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Arizona guard Anthony Dell'Orso (3) shoots as UCLA guard Trent Perry (0) defends during the first half of a Hall of Fame Series college basketball game Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Arizona led 28-25 at halftime but UCLA hit 5 of 9 3-pointers over the first 13 minutes of the second half while taking leads of up to eight points. Power forward Tyler Bilodeau, a frequent nemesis of the Wildcats since playing for Oregon State in Pac-12 competetion, hit two 3s over a five-minute period midway through the second half while Eric Dailey hit another.
But UA gradually puled back and took a 60-59 lead when Dell’Orso hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game with 2:51 left. Over the next 90 seconds, Bradley drove inside for a layup and hit a 3-pointer, giving UA a 65-63 lead with 1:03 left.
"JB has got a great ability to figure it out, and with his experience, to be fearless and not afraid to make big plays," UA coach Tommy Lloyd said. "When he got that kickoff from Mo (Krivas) on that broken play, I had a really good feeling about that 3."
While the Bradley's 3 gave UA lead for good, 65-63 with 1:18 left, it was his drives to the basket before and after that that may have bothered UCLA coach Mick Cronin the most.
He's "a hell of a player. He definitely ain't gonna miss layups. We didn't rotate to him on a perimeter pass," Cronin said. "I mean, literally, the whole stadium was wondering, is anybody going to rotate to him?"
On UCLA’s next possession, the Bruins had missed shots from Donovan Dent and Bilodeau, while Bradley drove in for another layup. Dent then responded with a layup to pull UCLA within 67-65 but the Bruins could cut it no further.
Arizona led 67-65 with 19 seconds left before UCLA’s Xavier Booker fouled Dell’Orso, who hit both ends of a one-and-one free throw attempt. A final UCLA possession ended with a missed 3-pointer from Skyy Clark.
"It wasn't pretty by any stretch," UA coach Tommy Lloyd said. "In the second half, we kind of stumbled into a little lead on a couple of turnovers and then they came back strong. It was a game of adjustments."
In the first half, Dell’Orso scored 13 points off the bench while hitting 3 of 5 3-point attempts to help Arizona take a 28-25 halftime lead.
The Wildcats shot just 37.9% from the field but had four 3s, including another from Brayden Burries to open the scoring, while scoring 16 points off UCLA’s 12 turnovers.
Led by center Xavier Booker, who had eight points, UCLA shot 45.5% in the first half.
The Bruins hit 3 of 5 three-pointers early in the first half while going on a 9-0 run to take a 15-05 lead seven minutes into the game while the Wildcats missed five shtos in a row.
That prompted a timeout during which UA coach Tommy Lloyd took forward Koa Peat out and replaced him with Tobe Awaka, giving Awaka and 7-footer Motiejus Krivas extended time together. Peat wound up with just seven points and four rebounds in just 21 minutes because of foul trouble.
UCLA guard Donovan Dent, right, shoots as Arizona center Motiejus Krivas defends during the second half of a Hall of Fame Series game Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif.
After UA's early timeout, the Wildcats then rattled off 10 straight points, including two 3-pointers from Dell’Orso, to tie the game at 15 midway through the first half.
"Obviously, we have practice so you have a good understanding of what teams are going to do, but at the end of the day, you've just got to be aggressive, play your game and be reactionary in a way," Dell'Orso said. "I just came in and saw areas that as a team, I knew we could exploit."
Dell’Orso also scored 18 points a week earlier against Utah Tech when he was 3 for 4 from 3-point range. The 20 points tied the most he has scored against a high-major opponent at UA.
