No. 2 UCLA Beats UNLV, 73-51
LAS VEGAS – Jules Bernard recorded a team-leading 18 points as the No. 2-ranked UCLA men's basketball team defeated UNLV, 73-51, on Saturday afternoon at the Thomas & Mackey Center.
Bernard was one of four Bruins to score in double figures, as UCLA moved to 7-0 all-time against UNLV.
Tyger Campbell had 15 points, Johnny Juzang added 12 points and a season-high nine rebounds and Jaime Jaquez Jr. recorded 12 points and a team-leading five assists.
UCLA (6-1) registered its largest margin of victory in a road game since Jan. 6, 2018, when the Bruins defeated California at Haas Pavilion (107-84) by 23 points.
The Bruins (6-1) used three 3-pointers to ignite a 14-0 scoring run after the Runnin' Rebels' game-opening basket on Saturday afternoon. UNLV (4-3) trimmed UCLA's advantage to nine points, at 48-37, with 14:43 to play in the second half on a pull-up jumper from Josh Baker. From that point, UNLV was held scoreless for the next five minutes as UCLA used a 10-0 run, capped by a Jaquez Jr. three-point play.
Bernard scored UCLA's first two buckets of the second half with a finger-roll layup and two more points in the paint. Bernard found Kenneth Nwuba three possessions later for a rim-rattling dunk to put the Bruins up 46-32 at the 15:54 mark.
The Bruins hit seven of nine first-half free throws – and drained six of 11 3-point attempts – to head into halftime with a 37-22 lead. UCLA closed out the first half with back-to-back 3-pointers to secure its 15-point lead – its largest of the half. Juzang shook his defender loose with a double move to drain his second make from deep, and on the Bruins' next possession, David Singleton tacked on a corner 3-pointer.
Bernard was responsible for six points in UCLA's 14-0 opening surge, scoring once from 3-point distance. He also made three of four free throw attempts during that initial span. UNLV responded with a 7-0 scorin run, including a transition dunk by Bryce Hamilton to cut the Bruins' cushion to three points, at 22-19.
Hamilton led all UNLV scorers with 15 points, connecting on six of 15 shots. He was one of just two players for UNLV to score in double figures, as Donovan Williams finished with 12 points.
UCLA will return to action against Colorado on Wednesday, Dec. 1. Game time on Wednesday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The contest will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.