LOS ANGELES — It was a mundane Monday. The third game in five days for the Bruins, who started the game 2 for 10 from the field with three turnovers – all from Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Neither team registered a point for more than two minutes into a game rescheduled from Jan. 1 after it was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.

It took 17 minutes, but Jaylen Clark ejected life into his team, the game and Pauley Pavilion when he exercised a one-man press that he cashed in for a steal in the backcourt, a layup and a roar from the home crowd.

It was a first-half highlight that sparked a stellar run on a night when the 12th-ranked Bruins survived a second-half scare to earn a 66-52 victory over Arizona State with starting point guard Tyger Campbell sitting on the bench, again.

Clark led UCLA in scoring for a second straight game with 16 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-16 shooting in 36 minutes.

“We see it every day in practice, he’s missed so much because of injuries,” Jaquez said of Clark. “I’m so happy (fans) get to see what we see every day in practice.”

Jules Bernard also had 16 points, including a 7-for-7 performance from the free-throw line. Jaquez notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, hit two 3-pointers and made all five of his free-throw attempts.

“We got on the offensive glass and create second shots,” said Jaquez, who had four of UCLA’s 11 offensive rebounds, which led to 13 second-chance points.

The Bruins were excellent from the free-throw line, going 18 for 20. The defense was good, too. Not one Arizona State player scored double digits.

“When you hold teams to 52, you’re not going to lose very many games,” said UCLA coach Mick Cronin, who improved to 44-2 when his teams limit the opponent to 65 points or less.

Yet again, UCLA (20-5 overall, 12-4 Pac-12) used quality reinforcements to fill the gaps.

With UCLA shooting just 33% from the field in the second half, ASU (10-16, 6-10) whittled UCLA’s 34-21 halftime lead to just one point with six minutes left.

“Unless it stayed over 10, I knew it was coming,” Cronin said.

With the memory of their triple-overtime loss at ASU still fresh two weeks later, the Bruins weren’t about to let the rematch slip away on their home court. David Singleton’s 3-pointer to beat the shot clock and a Cody Riley dunk started a 14-2 run that helped the hosts put away the Sun Devils for good.

“David Singleton is what’s great about college basketball,” Cronin said.

The Bruins made five of seven free throws during their 14-2 run.

“We really started to ramp up the defense,” Bernard said. “We just really picked up our intensity.”

Clark added one last crowd-pleasing play, a steal and fast-break dunk in the final 30 seconds.

“I feel like for this team I’m the Energizer bunny,” Clark said. “I try to be as animated as possible after making crazy plays like that just to get everybody going. I love taking the ball and going down lighting up.”

But at this time of the season – 25 games in – there is more to fight against than the opponent. In UCLA’s case, there are nagging injuries. Jaquez has been dealing with ankle injuries for while.

“Today I felt good, warming up and I was feeling good. It’s the best I’ve felt in a little while,” said Jaquez, who wears braces on both ankles and doesn’t practice in order to be able to play in games. “Day by day, we try to treat (my ankles) every day.”

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It was the third straight game a starter was held out. Campbell, who sat out Thursday and hurt himself Saturday night, was held out Monday for soreness in his left shoulder. Freshman Peyton Watson, who has been dealing with a lingering left knee injury, was also held out.

Johnny Juzang, who sat out Saturday’s game due to hip soreness after falling off a scooter, had 10 points on Monday, but was just 3 for 11 from the field and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. UCLA shot just 40% overall but found its moments when the ball started moving better.

“Once we got the ball moving again, it was better,” Cronin said. “You have to drive to pass against Arizona State, you can’t dribble too much.”

UCLA will hit the road this week, and play another three games in five days when it travels to Oregon on Thursday, Oregon State on Saturday and Washington on Monday to complete a 12-day stretch that includes six games.