NEW ORLEANS _ They will always have Kentucky.
The UCLA Bruins badly needed a quality victory and they got it Saturday at the Smoothie King Center, holding on for an 83-75 victory over the No. 7 Wildcats in the CBS Sports Classic.
UCLA prevailed in a game of wild momentum swings by showing the needed poise in the final minutes, something that had been missing in a recent loss to Michigan when the Bruins relinquished a 15-point lead.
UCLA forward Kris Wilkes and guard Aaron Holiday scored 20 points apiece to lead five Bruins in double figures. Wilkes skipped gleefully off the court afterward, shouting, "Yeah, baby! Yeah, baby!"
Holiday made two free throws to give his team a 71-59 lead with 7:33 left. The Bruins nearly gave the entire advantage back, momentarily stirring some reminders of the Michigan collapse. Kentucky came within four points on two occasions in the final minutes and missed a three-pointer that would have made it a one-point game.
Holiday made a driving layup to extend the lead to 79-73 before Bruins forward GG Goloman stole a Kentucky pass. Holiday then made two more free throws to essentially seal the outcome.
UCLA (9-3) scored the first 11 points of the second half, completing a 21-2 run that gave the Bruins a 50-39 lead after Prince Ali buried a three-pointer.
Kentucky then switched to a zone that befuddled the Bruins and triggered a 13-2 surge for the Wildcats that pulled them into a 52-52 tie.
It was UCLA's final game before opening Pac-12 Conference play on Thursday against Washington State at Pauley Pavilion.
Wilkes excitedly sprinted off the court at halftime, shouting "Let's get it! Let's get it!" after making the three-pointer that pulled the Bruins into a 39-39 tie. Wilkes' 13 points at halftime were more than he had posted in any of his five previous games.
UCLA, which upset Kentucky last season in Lexington, foiled Kentucky with a zone late in the first half that dared the Wildcats to shoot _ and miss _ three-pointers while the Bruins closed the half on a 10-2 run. UCLA was fortunate the game was tied at that point. The Bruins had committed eight turnovers, and center Thomas Welsh had to play softer defense than normal because he had played the end of the first half with two fouls.
Kentucky was the unequivocal winner in fan support, even breaking out alternating chants of "Blue!" and "White!" from different parts of the arena.
Hamidou Diallo led Kentucky (9-2) with 18 points.
