Field Level Media
Jan 9, 2021
Tyger Campbell scored 22 points, sophomore Johnny Juzang added a career-high 16 and UCLA stayed the only unbeaten team in the Pac-12 with an 81-76 victory over Arizona on Saturday night in Tucson, Ariz.
UCLA (9-2, 5-0 Pac-12) is off to its best start in conference play since the 2012-13 season, when the Bruins also opened 5-0.
Arizona (9-3, 3-3) lost to UCLA for the fourth consecutive time at McKale Center and has also dropped four in a row overall to the Bruins.
Campbell didn't attempt a 3-pointer. The point guard instead often worked off the dribble to get into the lane, finishing 7 of 10 from the field and 8 of 8 from the line. He hit two free throws with 4.9 seconds left to help ice the game.
Juzang shot 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, eclipsing his previous career scoring best by three points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 13 points and nine rebounds.
James Akinjo, who went scoreless in Thursday's home loss to Southern California, led Arizona with 25 points and eight assists. He gave the Wildcats late hope when he made three free throws with 6.1 seconds left to make it 79-76.
Azuolas Tubelis contributed 15 points and eight rebounds for Arizona.
UCLA led for the final 13:52, going up by as many as eight points with 10:34 to go, but Arizona had its chances. The Wildcats trailed 75-71 with the ball when Bennedict Mathurin missed a 3-pointer with 1:08 left. Still down four, they committed a turnover on an entry pass with 42 seconds to go.
UCLA helped itself by going 27 of 32 from the free-throw line.
Arizona was up 22-14 midway through the first half, but Campbell led a UCLA rally. He scored 12 consecutive points for the Bruins, including starting a 12-0 run with two jumpers and four free throws. Jules Bernard finished the spurt with four points for a 37-30 lead at the four-minute mark.
The Wildcats clawed back by hitting their final five shots of the half, including Akinjo's 3-pointer with six seconds to go to knot the game at 41.
--Field Level Media