UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., left, and Arizona guard Pelle Larsson battle for a loose ball during the first half of Tuesday’s game.

The third-ranked Arizona Wildcats looked out of sorts in all phases of the game Tuesday night, falling 75-59 to No. 7 UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.

After a raucous back-and-forth start to the game, one in which the Cats grabbed a 16-12 lead, the Bruins wrestled control away. They led the rest of the way, setting up a Feb. 3 rematch in Tucson.

Here’s how UCLA snapped Arizona’s 6-0 start in Pac-12 play:

20: There are a lot of stats that point to why Arizona lost, but chief among them will be the big hole the Wildcats dug in the first half. After leading 16-12, the Cats went ice cold on offense, missing 20 of their next 24 shots. UCLA built a 40-25 lead.

During the slump, Arizona had stretches of 5:59 and 4:26 without scoring a point. On the other end, UCLA’s experienced rotation capitalized with its starting five scoring 34 of the team’s 40 first half points.

14: The Bruins packed the paint, daring the Cats to shoot from outside, and Arizona obliged.

UA took 28 3-point attempts, 15 of which came in the first half. From the 14:37 mark of the first half until the 13:12 mark of the second half, Arizona missed 14 consecutive 3s.

30.7%: Arizona shot a season-low 30.7% (23-75) from the field. UA’s 75 shots were the most it has taken in a game this season and marked their worst shooting performance since the team shot 40.6% in the season opener against NAU.

Even worse, the Wildcats made just 6 of 23 (26%) on layup attempts.

By comparison, UCLA shot 32 for 64 (50%).

15: Azuolas Tubelis returned from an ankle sprain, and played 15 minutes off the bench.

Tubelis scored eight points and added six rebounds, but struggled to defend UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., who scored 10 points on 4 of 8 shooting.

10: With Tubelis limited, Pelle Larsson got his second start of the season and was arguably the team’s most consistent player Tuesday.

He finished third on the team with 10 points β€” all coming in the first half β€” grabbed five rebounds and was the only starter not to turn the ball over.

0 for 12: Point guard Kerr Kriisa missed all 12 of his shot attempts and tied his season-high of four turnovers.

2:In Arizona’s last two games against ranked opponents (Tennessee, UCLA), the Cats have fallen behind by double digits and gone on to lose the game both times.

0: UCLA point guard Tyger Campbell has zero turnovers in his last three games against the Wildcats.


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Contact sports producer Alec White at 573-4161 or awhite1@tucson.com. On Twitter: @alecwhite_UA