Kentucky Falls at UCLA
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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Thomas Welsh led five players in double figures with 21 points and UCLA knocked off No. 1 Kentucky 87-77 on Thursday night in the Bruins’ first victory over a top-ranked team since 2003.
Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton added 15 points each, Tony Parker had 11 and Aaron Holiday 10 for the Bruins (5-3), who led almost the entire game and shot 53 percent from the field. They last beat a No. 1 team on March 13, 2003, defeating Arizona 96-89 in overtime.
Isaiah Briscoe led Kentucky (7-1) with 20 points. Jamal Murray added 17 and Derek Willis added 11.
The Wildcats had five players in foul trouble, including Alex Poythress, who fouled out with four points with under 10 minutes left. They lost a regular-season game for the first time since March 8, 2014, at Florida.
UCLA opened the second half with a 17-10 spurt to build its largest lead of 15. Welsh and Parker, who both had two points in the first half, scored six points each.
The Wildcats got within single digits just once – early in the second half. Willis’ three-point play got them to 67-57 before consecutive baskets by Hamilton and Welsh pushed UCLA’s lead to 71-57.
The Wildcats lost starting forward Marcus Lee, who sustained a head injury in the first half and didn’t return.
The Bruins led 37-29 at halftime after holding the Wildcats to their worst first-half shooting percentage (37.5) of the season. Kentucky missed 10 of its last 13 shots.
Skal Labissiere’s lone basket of the half left Kentucky trailing 22-21. The Bruins closed the half on a 17-8 run, including 10 straight that produced their largest lead of 11.
