Kentucky Wildcats vs UCLA Bruins Box Score on Dec 23, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 23, 2017

NEW ORLEANS -- Aaron Holiday and Kris Wilkes scored 20 points each as UCLA upset No. 7 Kentucky 83-75 in the second game of the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday in the Smoothie King Center.

Jaylen Hands added 14 points, Thomas Welsh had 13 and Prince Ali scored 12 for the Bruins (9-3).

Hamidou Diallo led the Wildcats (9-2) with 18 points, Wenyen Gabriel scored 16 and Kevin Knox had 15.

No. 5 North Carolina defeated Ohio State 86-72 in the first game of the doubleheader.

The score was tied at 39 at halftime and the Bruins started fast in the second half. Ali made two 3-pointers, Welsh made one and Holiday made a layup to give the Bruins an 11-point lead.

Knox made two 3-pointers and a dunk during a 13-2 Wildcats run that tied the score at 52.

Welsh's jumper broke the tie and UCLA wouldn't relinquish the lead. Gabriel made consecutive 3-pointers for Kentucky, but Welsh's 3-pointer started a 10-0 run that gave the Bruins a 71-59 lead midway through the half.

P.J. Washington's three-point play stopped the run and the Wildcats got within 71-66 before Ali made a tip-in.

Washington's tip-in started a run that got Kentucky within 73-69 with three minutes remaining. The Wildcats cut the deficit to four twice more but couldn't get any closer as Holiday scored on a drive and made two free throws to extend the lead.

Kentucky led by as many as eight points and UCLA led by as many as six in the first half.

The Bruins made 6 of 21 3-pointers and the Wildcats made 2 of 10.

NOTES: UCLA was playing its first game since it extended the suspensions of freshmen Cody Riley and Jalen Hill for the rest of the season as punishment for their arrest for shoplifting while in China for a tournament earlier in the season. ... Kentucky had won its last seven games. ... This was the third meeting between the two teams in a little more than 12 months. The Wildcats won the last two, including an 86-75 triumph in the Sweet 16 in March.