LOS ANGELES — In the most crucial game of the season for the UCLA men’s basketball team, Donovan Dent rose to the challenge.

The senior point guard dissected Purdue’s defense, creating for himself and his teammates. He defended star counterpart Braden Smith adequately. He delivered his best overall performance in blue and gold – 23 points and 13 assists – while leading the Bruins to a 69-67 victory over the fourth-ranked Boilermakers on Tuesday night at Pauley Pavilion.

In the final two minutes, with the Bruins trailing, Dent knocked down a 3-point shot and dished to Tyler Bilodeau for another 3-pointer that restored the Bruins’ lead with eight seconds left.

C.J. Cox missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and Xavier Booker grabbed the defensive rebound as time expired. Fans stormed the court and jumped up and down in celebration on a night when the Bruins honored John Wooden, the Indiana native and Purdue alumnus who coached them to a record 10 national championships.

Bilodeau finished with 14 points. Eric Dailey Jr. had 12, Trent Perry added 11 points, and the duo connected for a fast-break layup that helped UCLA’s last-minute surge.

Dent was brought to UCLA (13-6 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) to be the best player against opponents of Purdue’s caliber. On Tuesday, he stared them in the chest, took on arguably the best point guard in the nation, and reminded the nation who he can be.

Dent showed great poise and patience in the half-court, often navigating end of shot-clock situations.

He drove past Oscar Cluff for a right-handed layup and beat Fletcher Loyer for a floater. Once the Boilermakers’ defenders were forced to step up on his drives, he coolly found his teammates. He set up Perry for a corner 3-pointer and dissected a Spain pick-and-roll, finding Bilodeau on the left wing. He dropped a pocket pass to Xavier Booker, and another to Dailey for a dunk.

His brilliance was celebrated as the students rushed the court. Earlier in the game, that joy seemed like a long shot.

With 7:24 left in the first half, Purdue (17-2, 7-1) held a 27-15 advantage thanks to a 13-3 run. The majority of that surge came with star point guard Smith on the bench.

Head coach Mick Cronin called a timeout to stop the bleeding. The Bruins responded with seven quick points, restoring their footing in the contest. Dent curled around a down screen and drove for a floater. Booker hit a 3-pointer from the left wing. Dailey pump-faked his way past Purdue center Daniel Jacobsen for a layup.

After Dailey’s layup cut the margin to five, the Bruins continued to push. Eric Freeny blocked Smith, Bilodeau grabbed the loose ball and threw an outlet to Dailey for a hammering dunk.

Dent drove for a layup, and deflected Loyer’s pass, sparking a 1-on-3 fast-break he finished himself with some extra English.

After another easy basket from Dailey, Dent took on Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, stepped-back for a jumper, and benefitted from a shooter’s bounce. Once the shot dropped, he turned to the crowd and bellowed, “Come On,” before bounding into the locker room.

He carried that bravado into the second half, and it inspired the Bruins to a resume-stamping victory, snapping the Boilermakers’ nine-game winning streak in their first visit to Pauley Pavilion in 26 years.

More to come on this story.