Dec 23, 2017 5 min read

Aaron Holiday capped a 20-point performance with a pivotal driving scoop and two free throws in the final 33 seconds, and UCLA upset No. 7 Kentucky 83-75 Saturday.

Kris Wilkes also scored 20 points, and Thomas Welsh added 13 points and 11 rebounds for UCLA (9-3), which won for the seventh time in 15 meetings between these historical college basketball powerhouses.

Hamidou Diallo scored 18 points and Wenyen Gabriel added a season-high 16 points for Kentucky (9-2), which lost for the first time in eight games.

Kevin Knox had 15 points for Kentucky on an array of perimeter shots and slashing dunks, but Kentucky didn’t shoot well overall. The Wildcats went 6 of 21 from 3-point range and were outshot overall, 47.5 percent (29 of 61) to 42.6 percent (29 of 68).

Kentucky hit only two of 10 3-point shots in the first half.

Yet when Gabriel made the Wildcats’ second 3 17 minutes into the game, Kentucky led 37-29.

But Jaylen Hands’ layup and Welsh’s 3 ignited what grew into a 21-2 Bruins run, putting UCLA ahead 50-39 early in the second half. Welsh and Ali each hit two 3s during the pivotal surge.

Kentucky didn’t go down easily, though. Knox hit two 3-pointers and a soaring baseline dunk during a 13-2 Kentucky spurt that tied it at 52 and spiked the volume of the evidently pro-Kentucky crowd at the CBS Sports Classic.

But Welsh again helped spark a UCLA spurt with a steady jump shot as the crowd urged on the Kentucky defense, and the Bruins built their lead back to 12 on Holiday’s free throws before Kentucky made one last charge that came up short.

North Carolina 86, Ohio State 72: Theo Pinson and Joel Berry II viewed North Carolina’s recent upset loss to Wofford as a test of their leadership.

The seniors provided a convincing response in a neutral-site, made-for-TV matchup against Ohio State.

Berry and Pinson each scored 19 points, and No. 5 North Carolina bounced back with an 86-72 victory over the Buckeyes in the CBS Sports Classic.

“Any team should have a great amount of focus after a loss,” Pinson said. “I was just ready to come out and step up for my teammates.”

Pinson scored six points on flawless free throw shooting inside the final 1:06 of the game as the Tar Heels (11-2) kept the Buckeyes (10-4) at bay.

“We’ve got veteran guys who know we can’t sulk,” Pinson said. “We need to move on to the next game, but at the same time, keep that loss in our minds.”

Cameron Johnson – a graduate transfer from Pitt whose recent debut was delayed by injuries – scored 13 points in just his second game for North Carolina, which had 13 3-pointers.

Keita Bates-Diop had 26 points – one point shy of his career high – for Ohio State. He shot 10 of 17 for the game and scored 19 points in the second half, including eight straight for Ohio State during a late 13-4 run that briefly pulled the Buckeyes within 78-69 with 1:10 to play.

No. 21 Tennessee 79, Wake Forest 60: The fouls piled up early for No. 21 Tennessee – one coming a single second into the game – to send some of the Volunteers’ top players to the bench. And Wake Forest controlled the boards to build some confidence and rhythm.

The halftime message to the Volunteers was simple: play tougher.

Jordan Bowden scored 17 points and Tennessee shot 59 percent in the second half to beat Wake Forest 79-60 in their final pre-conference game.

The Volunteers (9-2) led by one at the half but took control by scoring on seven of 10 possessions coming out of the break. That pushed Tennessee to a 52-43 lead, a margin that never slipped to fewer than five as the Demon Deacons struggled for a sustained push.

“We just knew we were going for it,” said Grant Williams, who scored 11 points despite early foul trouble. “We talked about it in the locker room, that they’re out-toughing us. They were kind of punking us on the rebounding end … and they were driving to the basket and getting fouled.

“So we just knew we had to come out aggressive, and that’s what happened.”

Tennessee’s finishing kick was pretty good, too. After Mitchell Wilbekin’s layup cut the deficit to 66-60 with 4:33 left, Tennessee closed the game on a 13-0 run. Bowden and Admiral Schofield each hit key 3-pointers in the flurry, with Bowden’s straightaway 3 to beat the shot clock near the 2-minute mark pushing the lead to 75-60.

That was part of Bowden’s 5-for-5 shooting day – all from behind the arc – in 28 minutes after tying his career high of 21 points against Furman Wednesday.

No. 23 Seton Hall 74, Manhattan 62: Angel Delgado scored 15 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, Khadeen Carrington scored 15 and Desi Rodriguez added 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists, leading No. 23 Seton Hall to a 74-62 victory over Manhattan at the Prudential Center.

The victory was the seventh in eight games for the Pirates (11-2).

Myles Powell had 13 points for Seton Hall before he was ejected in an altercation right before halftime. Michael Nzei had 10 points to give the Pirates five players in double figures.

The Jaspers (5-7) were led by Zane Waterman who had 18 points and Calvin Crawford, who had 10.

The Pirates put the game away with a 13-0 run in the first half, keyed by five straight points from Powell on a 3-pointer and a steal and thunderous slam and capped by Powell’s layup off a drive, giving the Pirates a 36-20 lead.

Rodriguez and Powell paced the Pirates with 13 points each in the half, with the Pirates holding a 49-27 lead.