The UCLA Bruins dominated an Arizona State Sun Devils squad that only had six scholarship players in uniform on Saturday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, coming away with a 75-58 win. UCLA evened their Pac-12 record at 2-2 and improved their record in the season to 9-7 with the win.
The Bruins trailed the undermanned Sun Devils 24-14 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, but were able to claw their way to a 33-30 halftime lead. UCLA destroyed Arizona State in the second half 42-28, and led by as many as 26 points.
Arizona State had no match for the size of the Bruins, who scored 46 points in the paint compared to just 18 for the Sun Devils. Center Joshua Smith, who missed Thursday's game against Arizona with a concussion, returned for the Bruins to lead the team with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field in just 21 minutes. Travis Wear added 16 points and seven rebounds, and his brother David Wear chipped in with eight points and nine rebounds. That trio combined to make 17 of 25 from the field (68.0%), and UCLA shot 54.4% on the night.
Jonathan Gilling led the Sun Devils (5-10, 1-2) with 17 points in defeat. Arizona State was without three players, including two starters, for the second straight game as Keala King, Kyle Cain, and Chris Colvin were all left home and suspended for "unacceptable conduct." That left the Sun Devils with just six scholarship players in uniform Saturday night.
UCLA has a week off before battling their crosstown rivals, the USC Trojans, at Galen Center next Sunday night.
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