National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Kentucky 83, UCLA 44
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, December 20, 2014
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Officials: # Ed Corbett, # Verne Harris, # Karl Hess
Attendance: 19726

No. 1 Kentucky 83, UCLA 44: Freshman Devin Booker matched a season high with 19 points and made a season-best five 3-pointers as the Wildcats mauled the Bruins on a neutral court in Chicago.

Aaron Harrison scored 15 points for Kentucky (12-0), which led 24-0 less than eight minutes into the game and held UCLA to seven first-half points. Karl-Anthony Towns collected 10 rebounds and Andrew Harrison contributed eight points and eight assists for the Wildcats, who were 12-for-26 from 3-point range.

Isaac Hamilton (14 points) and Bryce Alford (13) scored all their points in the second half for the Bruins (8-4). Kevon Looney added nine points and nine rebounds as UCLA shot a woeful 26.8 percent.

The Wildcats erupted at the start with 24 consecutive points as UCLA missed its first 17 shots. Looney’s driving basket gave the Bruins their first points with 7:39 remaining and the half closed with Kentucky holding a 41-7 lead, marking the fewest points scored in a half in UCLA history.

A jumper by Tyler Ulis pushed the lead over 40 with 10:50 remaining. The Bruins finally got into the 30s on Looney’s tip with 5:57 remaining and reached 40 on a 3-pointer by Hamilton with 2:02 left.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Kentucky’s seven points allowed was the fewest it has given up in a half since Dec. 28, 1943. … UCLA’s 37 second-half points helped allow it to avoid suffering the worst loss in program history – 109-61 to Stanford on Jan. 9, 1997. … Wildcats F Willie Cauley-Stein and C Dakari Johnson each recorded four of the Wildcats’ 13 blocked shots.
Top Game Performances
 
UCLA   Kentucky
Isaac Hamilton 14 Scoring Devin Booker 19
Isaac Hamilton 3 Assists Andrew Harrison 8
Kevon Looney 9 Rebounds Karl-Anthony Towns 10
Kevon Looney 1 Free Throws Made Marcus Lee 3
Tony Parker 3 Steals Aaron Harrison 3
Kevon Looney 2 Blocks Willie Cauley-Stein 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
UCLA 44 26.8 5-16 1-4 9 32 3 6 15
Kentucky 83 50.0 12-26 7-12 25 44 13 8 12