NEW YORK (AP) — Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 19 points and 12 rebounds as No. 16 UCLA turned back No. 13 Kentucky 63-53 in a matchup of college basketball royalty Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Jaylen Clark and Tyger Campbell each scored 15 for the streaking Bruins (10-2), who won their seventh straight game and passed another early test away from Pauley Pavilion following an 87-60 blowout Wednesday night at No. 20 Maryland.
Freshman forward Chris Livingston led the Wildcats (7-3) with a career-high 14 points off the bench, and Sahvir Wheeler had 11 points and six assists.
Big man Oscar Tshiebwe, the consensus 2022 national player of the year, pulled down 16 rebounds but was held to eight points — two in the second half — on 4-of-12 shooting as the Bruins double- and triple-teamed him.
UCLA owns 11 national championships, most of any school, while Kentucky ranks second with eight. Fans of both blue-blood programs filled Madison Square Garden with chants in a CBS Sports Classic game the Bruins led almost the entire way.
After trailing by 13 late in the first half, Kentucky went into the break down eight, but opened the second period on a 13-5 spurt behind eight points from Livingston to tie the score twice.
Jaquez responded with a basket inside before feeding David Singleton for a 3-pointer that capped a 6-0 spurt, and the Bruins held on the rest of the way. Kentucky trimmed it to 55-53 with 4 1/2 minutes left, but Campbell scored a tough basket in the lane and UCLA pulled away late.
BIG PICTURE
UCLA: The experienced Bruins are stamping themselves legitimate title contenders with impressive wins against tough competition away from home early this season.
Kentucky: The Wildcats struggled in every facet on offense and are still looking for their first win over an AP Top 25 opponent this season. They had won four in a row since losing 88-72 at then-No. 2 Gonzaga on Nov. 20. Kentucky also lost in double overtime to Michigan State on Nov. 15.
FAMILY AFFAIR
New York Knicks power forward Obi Toppin, the reigning NBA slam dunk contest champion, was in the stands with family at his home arena cheering on his younger brother. Kentucky senior forward Jacob Toppin, born in Brooklyn, had a rough day though, shooting 2 for 10 and scoring all five of his points in the second half. He did grab seven rebounds. Obi Toppin is currently sidelined by a knee injury.
UP NEXT
UCLA: Will host UC Davis from the Big West on Wednesday before resuming Pac-12 play after Christmas with a visit to Washington State on Dec. 30.
Kentucky: Plays host to Florida A&M on Wednesday night before opening the SEC schedule with a trip to Missouri on Dec. 28.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
