Hawaii thrashed by UCLA 80-61, ending Bruins’ 2-game skid
ASSOCIATED PRESS
UCLA guard Kris Wilkes, center, reacts after dunking as Hawaii guard Sheriff Drammeh, left, forward Jack Purchase, second from left, and center Mate Colina, right, watch along with UCLA guard Huthifah Abdeljawad during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, today in Los Angeles.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
UCLA guard Jaylen Hands, left, and Hawaii guard Drew Buggs reach for a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, today in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES >> Prince Ali scored 23 points and UCLA rebounded from consecutive losses to ranked opponents with an 80-61 rout of Hawaii tonight.
Kris Wilkes added 16 points for the Bruins (5-2), who made 10 3-pointers. They hit 11 in a 16-point loss to then-No. 7 North Carolina last week at the Las Vegas Invitational. That followed a 20-point loss to No. 11 Michigan State.
The Bruins led by 20 points in the first half, when Ali didn’t miss a shot. He made all six of his field-goal attempts and was 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
Ali scored UCLA’s final basket of the game on a huge one-handed dunk over 7-foot Dawson Carper.
UCLA opened the game on an 18-5 run, hitting four of their eight first-half 3-pointers during the stretch.
Wilkes had a highlight dunk with a one-handed jam late in the first half after freshman Moses Brown and Jalen Hill dunked.
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Jaylen Hands had 11 of UCLA’s 16 assists.
Owen Hulland scored 14 points for Hawaii (4-4) in the first meeting in 18 years between the teams. The Rainbow Warriors’ first eight games have all been decided by double digits, with the Bruins handing them their worst loss so far.
The Rainbow Warriors were held to 27 percent shooting in the first half.
UCLA opened the second half in similarly dominant fashion. The Bruins outscored the Rainbow Warriors 17-9 and extended their lead to 62-35. They did it with balanced scoring: Cody Riley had six points, Ali added five and Wilkes four. Brown got things started with a putback dunk.
Jack Purchase and Brocke Stepteau added 10 points each for Hawaii.
