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Kris Wilkes scores 21, UCLA beats cold-shooting Huskies 74-53

UCLA guard Aaron Holiday dunks against Washington during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017. UCLA won 74-53. (Ringo H.W. Chiu / AP)
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Freshman Kris Wilkes scored a career-high 21 points and Aaron Holiday had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists to lead UCLA to a 74-53 win over Washington on Sunday night.

The Bruins (11-3, 2-0 Pac-12) have won four in a row and snapped Washington’s four-game win streak.

UCLA trailed 43-29 early in the second half but went on a 15-0 run over the next six-plus minutes. Prince Ali had six points and Wilkes scored five during that stretch.

Noah Dickerson made back-to-back baskets to give the Huskies (11-4, 1-1) a four-point lead with 8:04 left, but Washington went 0 for 12 from the field, and was outscored 26-1, from there.

The Bruins shot 43 percent (22 of 51) from the field while the Huskies hit 19 of 68 (27.9 percent), including 6 of 35 (17.1 percent) in the second half.

Dickerson led Washington with 14 points and seven rebounds.

UCLA came out sluggish, turning the ball over on offense and playing lax defense in the interior and Washington led 21-9 lead after Dickerson drove for layup in traffic.

Washington took a 13-point lead when Matisse Thybulle hit a jumper with 8:07 left in the first half, but the Huskies missed their next eight field-goal attempts, allowing UCLA to whittle its deficit to 36-28 at halftime.