UCLA
19-2, 6-2
Arizona
18-2, 7-0
No. 3 UCLA Falls to No. 14 Arizona, 96-85
January 21, 2017 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Freshman Lonzo Ball scored a career-high 24 points as No. 3 UCLA fell to No. 14 Arizona, 96-85, before a sold-out crowd of 13,659 in Pauley Pavilion on Saturday afternoon.
UCLA (19-2, 6-2 Pac-12) dropped its second game of the season, snapping a six-game winning streak. Five Bruins scored in double figures, with seniors Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Arizona's Kobi Simmons scored a team-leading 20 points for the Wildcats (18-2, 7-0 Pac-12). Lauri Markkanen totaled 18 points and seven rebounds, connecting on 6 of 10 shots from the field.
In all, six Arizona players scored in double figures to help the Wildcats secure their 12th consecutive victory. Arizona's 96 points were a season high.
The Wildcats outshot UCLA, making 50 percent of their total shots to the Bruins' 45 percent, and won the battle of the boards by a 42-33 margin.
The lead changed hands six times in the first half before the Wildcats closed with a 6-0 run to take a 48-37 halftime advantage. Allonzo Trier, who made his season debut after sitting out the first 19 games of the season, scored all six points in the run.
Arizona built the lead to 14 points early in the second half before the Bruins closed to within two, 67-65, after a 10-1 scoring run that culminated a Hamilton three-pointer with 11:28 to play.
The Wildcats answered with a 5-0 run, increasing their lead to seven before extending it to 10 points three times before UCLA made another mini-run to close to six on a pair of free throws by Hamilton with 1:09 remaining. On the next possession, Arizona missed a layup, but Markkanen grabbed the offensive board and dunked it while he was fouled to put the game away.
Ball made 10 of 15 shots, including 4 of 8 from three-point range, and added eight assists and six rebounds.
UCLA will return to action at USC on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Game time at USC's Galen Center is slated for 8 p.m. The Bruins' game will be nationally televised by FOX Sports 1 (FS1).
