College basketball roundup: Cal men get season’s 1st win

Lars Thiemann and Joel Brown scored 17 points each and Cal snapped its season-opening 12-game losing streak, defeating visiting UT Arlington 73-51 on Wednesday night.

Kuany Kuany added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Golden Bears (1-12). Thiemann made 8 of 10 shots and grabbed five rebounds. Brown was 7-for-13 shooting and had six rebounds.

Cal entered the game as the only Division I team without a win this season. Seven of the Bears’ 13 scholarship players missed 42 combined games during the losing streak. Expected starters DeJuan Clayton (1,534 career points) and Jalen Celestine (7.5 points per game in 2021-22), have yet to play, and leading scorer Devin Askew was injured in Sunday’s loss at Santa Clara and did not play against UT Arlington. Askew is fifth in the Pac-12, scoring 16.9 points per game.

Cal extended a nine-point halftime lead to 21 in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Bears made 8 of 13 shots and outscored UTA 24-12 in that stretch, with Brown and Thiemann scoring six points each.

The Golden Bears continued to extend their lead and a layup by Brown followed by a jumper from Kuany gave them a 67-39 lead with 3:25 remaining. The Bears shot 61% in the second half and scored 45 points.

In the first half, Thiemann’s personal 9-0 run turned a 14-10 Cal lead into a 23-10 advantage. The Golden Bears went on to lead 28-19 at the half after shooting 52% and attempting only three 3-pointers, making one. Brown and Thiemann scored nine points each.

Shemar Wilson had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Chendall Weaver added 12 points for the Mavericks (5-8).

The Bears return to Pac-12 play next week with home games against Utah on Dec. 29 and Colorado on Dec. 31.

UC Davis no match for UCLA

Jaylen Clark scored 18 points with 11 rebounds as No. 13 UCLA returned from a productive East Coast trip to earn an 81-54 victory Wednesday over visiting UC Davis.

Tyger Campbell scored 17 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 14 as the Bruins (11-2) distanced themselves from a slow start to win their eighth consecutive game while closing out the nonconference portion of their schedule. UCLA improved to 8-0 at home.

Kenneth Nwuba blocked four shots and Adem Bona had two blocks as the Bruins won the rebounding battle 39-33. UCLA held UC Davis to 37.5% shooting from the field. The Aggies entered the matchup scoring 80.3 points per game.

Elijah Pepper scored 16 points for the Aggies (7-5), just under his 20-point average per game. Robby Beasley added 14 points and Ty Johnson had 13 points for UC Davis, which has dropped three of its last four games.

Fresh off road victories over a pair of ranked teams last week in Maryland and Kentucky, the latter on a neutral court at New York, UCLA was mistake prone early Wednesday before finding its stride.

The Bruins did not take the lead for good until 10:49 remained in the first half when Clark flashed his defensive prowess with a steal and a fast-break layup for a 13-11 advantage. It was all UCLA from there as it built its first double-digit lead at

30-19 with 2:59 remaining in the half on a jump shot by Campbell.

Consecutive baskets by Bona, the second on a dunk with 15:23 remaining in the game, gave UCLA is first 20-point lead at 49-29. Bona finished with nine points and six rebounds.

Jaquez added eight rebounds after playing just five minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. Clark delivered his second double-double of the season.

Saint Mary’s holds off Wyoming

Logan Johnson scored 28 points as Saint Mary's beat Wyoming 66-54 on Wednesday night at the Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix.

Johnson added five steals for the Gaels (10-4). Mitchell Saxen added 19 points and nine rebounds. Aidan Mahaney finished with 11 points.

Noah Reynolds led the Cowboys (5-7) with 21 points.

Johnson scored 14 points in the second half to help Saint Mary’s preserve a 10-point halftime lead.

San Francisco rolls past Arizona State

Khalil Shabazz scored 26 points and San Francisco routed visiting No. 25 Arizona State 97-60 on Wednesday night to end the Sun Devils' nine game winning streak.

The Sun Devils lost for just the second time this season. They were off to their best start since the 2017-18 season and had entered the Associated Press Top 25 poll on Monday for the first time since its No. 23 ranking on Dec. 7, 2020.

The Dons opened the game on a 24-2 run, had a 27-point advantage at the break and a 47-point lead with about six minutes left. They finished 32 of 56 (57%) from the floor that included 15 made 3-pointers.

Shabazz made 8 of 16 shots and 5 of 11 from long range. Isaiah Hawthorne added 19 points for San Francisco (10-4). Tyrell Roberts scored 14 points and Marcus Williams and 11.

DJ Horne and Duke Brennan scored 12 points apiece for Arizona State (11-2).