SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – Without leading scorer Brandon Carlson, the Utes basketball team matched a season-low in points, and got blown out by #7 UCLA.
Tyger Campbell scored 17 points, Adem Bona added 15, and No. 7 UCLA rolled past Utah 68-49 on Thursday night for the Bruins’ 12th consecutive victory.
UCLA (15-2, 6-0 Pac-12) is on its longest winning streak since opening the 2016-17 season with 13 straight wins. The Bruins are 10-0 at home this season.
The 49 points matched a season for Utah, who also scored 49 in a loss against Mississippi State. Meanwhile UCLA lived up to its billing of being the top defensive team in the Pac-12.
Carlson, who averages 15.7 points per game, fell ill and was ruled out just before tip-off.
Bona scored five points in the second half when the Bruins ran away. They opened with a 15-6 run to extend their lead to 46-28. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored his first points of the game in that span. He tied his season high with 12 rebounds.
Campbell contributed during an 8-0 spurt that produced a 62-38 lead.
Rollie Worster was the only Utah player in double figures with 12 points for the Utes (12-5, 5-2). Utah shot just 36.7 percent from the field.
The Bruins missed their first four shots of the game, then went on a tear. They reeled off 11 straight points to lead 11-4. Bona scored six in a row, capped by the first of his three dunks in the half. He grabbed eight rebounds.
Bona and Campbell later combined to score 15 straight points for the Bruins. Bona dunked two-handed and on UCLA’s next possession the freshman grabbed an offensive rebound and fired to Campbell, who hit a 3-pointer. Campbell hit another 3 and Dylan Andrews added one as well to help the Bruins lead 31-22 at halftime.
Utah next takes on USC Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
