NEW ORLEANS — UCLA guard Aaron Holiday delivered a steadying performance and a clutch finish to a made-for-TV holiday weekend event.
And he did it in the same arena where his brother, Jrue Holiday, plays home games in the NBA — albeit to the disappointment of a decidedly pro-Kentucky crowd.
Holiday capped a 20-point performance with a pivotal driving scoop and two free throws in the final 33 seconds, and UCLA upset No. 7 Kentucky 83-75 on Saturday.
"It’s always special when you can play where your brother’s played," Holiday said. "Obviously, he’s doing really well right now (with the NBA’s Pelicans), so that’s good. But just to get the win out here, it’s just awesome."
Kris Wilkes also scored 20, and Thomas Welsh added 13 points and 11 rebounds for UCLA (9-3), which won for the seventh time in 15 meetings between these powerhouses.
Bruins coach Steve Alford thought the victory was an important step for a squad relying on freshmen like Wilkes and some returning players who didn’t see heavy minutes last season.
"It’s good for them to see that, you know what, we can win a game like this," Alford said. "If we keep growing, we could be pretty good."
Hamidou Diallo scored 18 and Wenyen Gabriel added a season-high 16 for Kentucky (9-2), which lost for the first time in eight games.
"We’re better than this," said Kentucky coach John Calipari, who harped on his players’ poor decision-making and inconsistent effort.
"Maybe it was Christmas, but (UCLA) didn’t have that issue and they flew from across the country. And hats off to them. They played well. They made shots they had to make. They made free throws they had to make."
NO. 5 UNC 86, OHIO ST. 72: Joel Berry II and Theo Pinson scored 19 each, and the Tar Heels (11-2) bounced back from a home loss to Wofford with a convincing victory in the CBS Sports Classic in New Orleans.
NO. 10 W.?VA. 86, FORDHAM 69: Jevon Carter and Sagaba Konate had double doubles, and the host Mountaineers (11-1) overcame a sluggish start to win their 11th straight game.