No. 9 UCLA opened its game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a 13-0 run, setting the tone for a 106-37 rout on Wednesday in Los Angeles, the biggest winning margin in program history.
The Bruins (3-0) held the Golden Lions (0-3) without a point for the game’s first 5:28 and did not allow a made field goal until 6:31 into the contest. The gap was 51-9 at halftime.
Freshman Nikola Kusturica scored 17 points to pace six Bruins in double figures. Jaylen Petty added 16 points, and Azavier Robinson scored 15 off the bench.
Macaleab Rich was the lone UAPB player in double figures, finishing with 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting. The Golden Lions shot 27.5% from the floor and 10% (2 of 20) from 3-point range.
No. 8 Houston 92, Jacksonville State 46
Dedan Thomas Jr. amassed 17 points and seven assists and Mercy Miller added 15 points — including 11 in the second half — as the Cougars waltzed to a win over the visiting Gamecocks.
Houston (3-0) led by 22 at halftime, doing much of its damage during an early seven-plus-minute stretch in which it held the Gamecocks scoreless from the floor. Chendall Weaver added 10 points in a reserve role for the Cougars.
Naas Cunningham led Jacksonville State (1-2) with 13 points off the bench while Jordan Stiemke had 10 points and seven rebounds.
No. 13 St. John’s 90, Colgate 59
Ian Jackson scored 14 of his 17 points before halftime as the Red Storm took control late in the first half and pulled away for a victory over the Raiders in New York.
Keyshawn Hall also put up 17 points, his third straight double-figure performance since joining the Red Storm (3-0) as a transfer from Auburn. Tounde Yessoufou added 15 points and three steals.
Andrew Alekseyenko led Colgate (0-3) with 15 points, and he pulled down a team-best eight rebounds. The Raiders shot 37.7%, made 7 of 27 3-point tries (25.9%) and allowed 27 points off 19 turnovers.
No. 19 Arkansas 76, Robert Morris 53
Billy Richmond III scored 16 points, Davion Thompson added 15, and the Razorbacks pulled away in the second half for a victory over the Colonials in Fayetteville, Ark.
Cooper Bowser had 12 points and 10 rebounds and JJ Andrews added 11 points for the Razorbacks (2-1), who rebounded from a 91-72 loss to then-No. 9 Virginia on Sunday.
Ace Valentine scored 13 points, KJ Garris Jr. had 11 and Darius Livingston added 10 for the Colonials, who went 0-3 on a season-opening three-game road trip.
No. 20 Michigan 84, Marquette 70
JP Estrella scored a team-high 18 points and the Wolverines used a big run in each half to defeat the Golden Eagles in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Estrella sank 8 of 12 shots and added eight rebounds for Michigan (2-1). Elliot Cadeau stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Colin Porter scored a game-high 21 points off the bench and Adrien Stevens added 16 for Marquette (2-1), which trailed for the final 26-plus minutes.
No. 21 Southern California 77, Cal 65
Alijah Arenas, Rodney Rice and KJ Lewis combined for 53 points and the Trojans remained unbeaten with a victory over the Golden Bears in Berkeley, Calif.
Arenas led all scorers with 19 points, while Rice had 18 and Lewis 16 for Southern California (3-0). The Trojans trailed 9-2 before rallying to take control against their former longtime Pac-12 Conference rival.
Sammie Yeanay and Nojus Indrusaitis led a balanced attack with 14 and 13 points, respectively, for Cal (2-2), which lost a second straight game to a ranked opponent. The Golden Bears fell 86-68 to then-No. 10 Houston in Stateline, Nev., on Sunday.
No. 25 Nebraska 94, Lindenwood 60
Pryce Sandfort had 22 points and Damon Wilkinson added 19 as the Cornhuskers cruised to a win over the Lions in Lincoln, Neb.
Nebraska (3-0), which got 14 points from Braden Frager, won its 25th consecutive regular-season nonconference game thanks to 11 3-pointers and 51.6% shooting overall (33-for-64).
Shamiere Green scored 12 to lead Lindenwood (2-2). Other than Green’s three made 3-pointers, the rest of the Lions were 0-for-17 from outside and the team shot 35.5% overall (22-for-62).