UCLA Bruins vs Bellarmine Knights Box Score on Nov 22, 2021

Peyton Watson scored 19 points off the bench and keyed runs in both the first and second half as No. 2-ranked UCLA held off Bellarmine, 75-62, Monday in Las Vegas.

The Bruins (5-0) endured a sluggish start offensively against the winless Knights, managing just 14 points almost nine minutes into the game. Watson came on in reserve to provide a spark, scoring nine points in a little more than three minutes.

His outburst powered UCLA on a 15-2 run, which gave the Bruins a double-digit-point advantage for the remainder of the game.

Bellarmine (0-5), playing its third top 10-ranked opponent already this season, pulled to within 11 points by halftime after trailing by as many as 19. Watson again ignited UCLA out of intermission, scoring six points -- including the first two -- in a 16-4 run.

David Singleton also provided a needed scoring boost off the bench. He shot 3 of 4 from 3-point range en route to 13 points.

The trio of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell and Jules Bernard all struggled mightily offensively. Jaquez shot 3 of 11 from the floor and finished with six points. Bernard, who did not make his first field goal until hitting a 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining, finished with five points, and Campbell went 1-for-7 from the floor on a two-point night.

Johnny Juzang, who finished with 13 points, was the only one of UCLA's top four scorers on the season to finish in double-figures.

After falling behind by as many as 23 points following the big run out of the locker room, Bellarmine chipped away at the deficit for the remainder of the second half.

The Knights pulled to within 10 points in the closing minutes behind clutch baskets from Dylan Penn, who scored 19 points; and Alec Pfriem, who accounted for all eight of Bellarmine's bench points.

Bellarmine was aided by a perfect 13-of-13 shooting from the free-throw line, while UCLA went just 1 of 6 from the foul line.

UCLA returns to action Tuesday for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown with Gonzaga. The Bruins and Zags met in last season's Final Four in a semifinal Gonzaga won on a last-second, half-court buzzer-beater in overtime.

--Field Level Media