No. 2 UCLA Jumps to Early Lead, Routs No. 15 UNC Asheville

Abramo Canka #1 of the UCLA Bruins shoots a layup under Drew Pember #4 of the North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on March 16, 2023. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Jaime Jaquez Jr. produced 17 points, eight rebounds and five steals as second-seeded UCLA dominated from the start and cruised to an 86–53 victory over 15th-seeded UNC Asheville in an NCAA Tournament West Region first-round game on Thursday in Sacramento.

Amari Bailey also scored 17 for the Bruins (30–5), who raced to a 14–0 lead and made their first seven shots from the field. The outcome was never in doubt after that, as the Bulldogs (27–8) trailed by 21 at halftime and fell behind by 33 in the second half.