Kharchenkov's 38 Not Enough, No. 5 Arizona Falls to No. 22 UCLA

Monday, November 2

Las Vegas, Nev.

8:00 PM MST

University of Arizona

0-1,0-0Big 12

UCLA

1-0,0-0Big Ten

Team	1	2	F
UCLA	43	41	84
Arizona	29	46	75

Box Score (PDF)

11/02/2026 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

LAS VEGAS — Ivan Kharchenkov delivered a prolific scoring performance, but No. 5 Arizona's second-half rally fell short in an 84-75 loss to No. 22 UCLA on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Kharchenkov scored 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, becoming the first Arizona player to score at least 38 points since Azuolas Tubelis poured in 40 in 2023. Kharchenkov shot 12 of 20 from the field and made 12 of 16 free throws while playing 38 minutes.

The last Wildcat to match Kharchenov's line was Al Fleming on Jan. 10, 1976, when he registered 41 points and 10 rebounds against Detroit.

Arizona (0-1) trailed by as many as 16 points and faced a 43-29 deficit at halftime before finding its rhythm offensively after the break. The Wildcats scored 46 points in the second half, shooting 43.8% from the field after making just eight of 28 attempts before halftime.

The comeback centered on Kharchenkov, who repeatedly attacked the basket and kept Arizona within reach. Derek Dixon added 18 points, including four 3-pointers all in the second half, while Motiejus Krivas finished with eight points, nine rebounds and matched his career high with six blocked shots.

Arizona cut the deficit to single digits midway through the second half, with Kharchenkov scoring on a driving layup to make it 58-64 with 7:18 remaining. UCLA answered with a Trent Perry 3-pointer, but Kharchenkov converted two free throws to keep the Wildcats within seven.

The rally intensified in the final four minutes. After Caleb Holt's second-chance layup and a Krivas free throw pulled Arizona to 63-71, Kharchenkov grabbed an offensive rebound and scored inside with 4:01 remaining to make it a six-point game.

Dixon followed with a 3-pointer at the 3:36 mark, cutting UCLA's lead to 71-68. Krivas then blocked Perry's attempt at the rim, and JJ Mandaquit secured the rebound to give Arizona another possession. Kharchenkov converted both free throws with 3:11 remaining, bringing the Wildcats within one at 71-70.

The momentum swung back to the Bruins when Xavier Booker answered with a 3-pointer at 2:59, restoring a four-point advantage. Arizona missed several opportunities to close the gap further before Nikola Kusturica and Perry helped the Bruins pull away at the free-throw line in the final minute.

Dixon hit another 3-pointer with 1:06 remaining to cut the deficit to 78-75, but UCLA scored the final six points to secure the win.

Arizona finished 22 of 60 from the field and 7 of 30 from 3-point range. The Wildcats also struggled to generate second-chance offense, finishing with nine second-chance points to UCLA's 19.

Up Next: Arizona will host Cal Poly on Thursday at McKale Center at ALKEME Arena, with tip-off slated for 8:30 p.m. MST on TruTV. Tickets are available by visiting arizonawildcats.com/mbk.