Arizona

A resurgent Donovan Dent is the star of UCLA’s victory over Arizona State

Published

3 months ago

December 18, 2025

A resurgent Donovan Dent is the star of UCLA’s victory over Arizona State

The crowd couldn’t believe what it had just witnessed.

Donovan Dent’s crossover move left a helpless defender watching from behind as he accelerated toward the basket, fans unleashing audible admiration even before the UCLA point guard completed the play with a driving layup.

Poor Noah Meeusen and everyone else who tried to stop Dent.

They were overmatched by the finishing ability and fearlessness of a player who had not shown much of either over the season’s first month, hardly resembling the star the Bruins thought they were getting.

On a revelation of a Wednesday night inside Pauley Pavilion, Dent finally looked like someone who could carry a team.

He did exactly that, the transfer from New Mexico helping the Bruins fend off Arizona State during a 90-77 victory that had his handprints all over it.

There were blow-by layups, floaters, a rare three-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play on a jumper he threw up while getting fouled and falling down along the baseline. Dent unveiled a full array of moves on the way to scoring 20 points while making nine of 17 shots.

UCLA coach Mick Cronin said he sensed Dent might have a big game given the Sun Devils’ up-and-down style was one that played to his strengths. Dent said a confidence boost came from coaches and teammates reminding him of his abilities.

“They all just kind of told me, like, be yourself,” Dent said. “Like, we know who you are, you came here for a reason, like, just be you. And then, that’s all you want to hear from your teammates when you’re going through a slump, like, them just absolutely, absolutely being right there for you.”

Dent’s understudy also came up huge. After the Sun Devils made things uncomfortably close midway through the second half, pulling to within five points, UCLA reserve guard Trent Perry made sure they would get no closer.

Perry rose for a three-pointer that pushed the lead back to eight points. After teammate Brandon Williams made an energizing block at the rim, triggering a fast break, Perry found Skyy Clark for a three-pointer that extended the Bruins’ advantage to double digits.

Clark finished with 18 points on the strength of six three-pointers and Tyler Bilodeau added 18 points to help UCLA (8-3) bounce back from its loss to Gonzaga by holding off an old Pac-12 rival. Guard Anthony Johnson led Arizona State (9-3) with 20 points on a night the Sun Devils kept things close by making 25 of 26 free throws.

Clark is now making 51.9% of his three-pointers this season, not far behind Liberty’s Brett Decker Jr., who entered Wednesday as the national leader by making 55.3% of his shots from long range. Irritated by Clark giving up one early shot so that he could pass to Dent, Cronin asked everyone in the locker room at halftime if they wanted Clark to pass up open shots.

“They all screamed, ‘No!’ at him,” Cronin said. “You know, he’s a great kid, he’s unselfish, but we’ve got to continue to find a way to continue to make sure we get him shots.”

Another annoyance for Cronin was his team giving up 36 points in the paint along with all those free throws, a formula that might have spelled disaster had the Bruins not put up so many points themselves. Cronin said he might go with more three-guard lineups to optimize the team’s talent given what Perry and Jamar Brown (nine points) have added off the bench.

Dent’s final highlight came on a pass in transition to an open Clark, who rose for a three-pointer that gave UCLA a 12-point lead. In perhaps the only blemish on his night, Dent logged just four assists to go with his four turnovers.

It was an ensemble performance for the Bruins. Cronin inserted backup center Steven Jamerson II into his lineup to start the second half and Jamerson quickly rewarded him by chasing down an offensive rebound in the corner and adding two putback dunks before getting into foul trouble.

But the big story was one of redemption.

It picked up momentum late in the first half when Dent rose without hesitation for a three-pointer. It was only Dent’s second made three-pointer of the season and his first since the season opener after a string of 12 consecutive misses dropped his accuracy from beyond the arc to 7.7%.

That was a stunning dropoff for someone who had made 40.9% of his three-pointers last season at New Mexico. Dent finished the game making one of three shots from long range, his accuracy inching up to 12.5% on the season.

What was perhaps most pleasing about Dent’s performance was his heightened confidence level. He repeatedly beat his defender for driving layups, his aggressiveness an equal asset to his speed in rolling up 13 points on six-for-eight shooting by the game’s midpoint.

There was more to come for someone who said watching film of old highlights helped generate new ones.

“When you’re going through stuff like that,” Dent said of his struggles, “you kind of want to see what you could do, again, watching old highlights, old clips. They remind you what you can do and who you are.”

He’s Donovan Dent, and no one on Arizona State’s roster is likely to forget any time soon.

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Arizona

A guide to Spring Breaking in Arizona’s High Country

Published

3 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

A guide to Spring Breaking in Arizona’s High Country

FLAGSTAFF (AZFamily) — Spring break is here in Arizona for public universities and lots of high schools. Students and families are taking advantage of the week off and the nice but unseasonably warm temperatures across the state.

The High Country offers slightly cooler temperatures than in the valley and access to hiking, skiing, and national parks.

Flagstaff sits at 7,000 ft, tucked into the pine trees with expansive mountain views.

The weather this time of year is usually a gamble for spring breakers, but Ryan Randazzo with Discover Flagstaff said recent storms have left some snow on the peaks and great temperatures in town.

“It hasn’t been the snowiest winter, but we still have more than 40 inches of a base at Arizona Snow Bowl,” Randazzo said. “So it’s a great time to get up there and enjoy some sunny days on the slopes, and the weather here is just perfect. It’s still about 20 degrees cooler than Metro Phoenix and Tucson.”

He said the above-average temperatures make it perfect for outdoor adventure junkies.

“A little unusual for this time of year, but our trails are mostly open and snow-free at the lower elevation,” Randazzo said.

For those who want a more relaxing retreat there is plenty of shopping and local spots to eat at.

“In addition to our 200 restaurants, we’ve got 8 award-winning craft breweries,” Randazzo said. “And this time of year, with our unseasonably warm weather, is actually a pretty nice time to be out on the patio here in Flagstaff.”

Flagstaff is also a two hour drive or less from 9 national parks and monuments. The Grand Canyon is the most popular one, but for those looking to skip the lines, national monuments like Walnut Canyon are the way to go.

Alex Stork was visiting from Michigan and said you don’t get views like this in the Midwest.

“There’s nothing as high as this,” Stork said. “It’s beautiful out here. Easy, simple, I actually got a lifetime pass today.”

Outside of Flagstaff, people can hike in Sedona and then visit a spa. You could walk down classic Route 66 in Williams before stopping at Bearizona. Plus, for those don’t mind an easy two hour drive, they can hit Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell, and Horseshoe Bend all in one day up in Page.

“You can’t beat Northern Arizona,” Stork said.

More information on actives to do in and around Flagstaff can be found at Discover Flagstaff’s website.

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Arizona

Arizona baseball falls to ASU in midweek nonconference game

Published

15 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Arizona baseball falls to ASU in midweek nonconference game

TEMPE – The Phoenix metro has not been kind to Arizona baseball through the first month of the season.

Arizona fell to rival ASU 10-4 on Tuesday night in front of a packed crowd at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The Wildcats clawed back after falling behind 6-1, but the Sun Devils closed the door in the late innings.

The nonconference game was the first of five matchups between the rivals, with the UA hosting a 3-game Big 12 Conference series in early April followed by one more non-league game in Tempe.

Arizona (6-10) is now 0-4 in the Phoenix area, with three losses coming in the opening weekend College Baseball Series in Surprise. Arizona dropped to 0-3 in midweek games.

Collin McKinney got the start for the Wildcats, allowing four earned runs on five hits and six strikeouts. McKinney conceded one run in the first inning but escaped out of a bases loaded jam. He looked sharp until giving up a 2-run homer to ASU’s Dean Toigo in the fourth inning.

“We saw the velocity at times. We saw the breaking stuff,” Arizona coach Chip Hale said. “It was very encouraging from us on our side for him.“

The Sun Devils tacked on three more runs in the fourth, including a 2-run blast from Landon Hairston off reliever Matthew Martinez.

Arizona answered in the sixth inning when sophomore catcher Roman Meyers drilled a 450-feet 3-run homer to bring the score to 6-4. It was Meyers’ third homer of the season.

“He always has a chance. He’s got massive power,” Hale said. “So if he hits it he has a chance for a home run.”

Arizona’s five through nine hitters combined for six of the team’s eight hits, led by 2-hit games from Caleb Danzeisen and Cash Brennan.

Arizona’s offense, however, couldn’t keep up with the Sun Devils, who added runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to pull away. Wildcats pitchers gave up eight free bases on the night.

Arizona is back in action Friday when it begins Big 12 play at Utah. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. MST.

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Arizona

WATCH: How Helping One Woman provides hope and support with ‘Girl’s Night Out’

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

WATCH: How Helping One Woman provides hope and support with ‘Girl’s Night Out’

PEORIA, AZ — What if a simple dinner could help someone rebuild their life? In Peoria, a local chapter of Helping One Woman is doing just that by gathering once a month for a “Girls Night Out” with a powerful purpose.

Each month, women in the community nominate someone facing an unimaginable challenge: the loss of a spouse or child, a cancer diagnosis, or another life-altering hardship. That woman becomes the evening’s honoree.

At the dinner, attendees each contribute at least $10 and take part in raffles supported by local businesses. By the end of the night, the funds raised are gifted directly to the recipient to help with expenses during a difficult time.

But organizers say the money is only part of the impact. The room full of encouragement, hugs, and shared support can be just as powerful.

ABC15’s Cameron Polom talked with the Peoria chapter president and two women whose lives were changed thanks to the group’s generosity. See the full Uplifting Arizona story in the video player above.

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