LOS ANGELES -- Even though Arizona was ranked No. 14, it felt a little unappreciated entering a Pac-12 battle against No. 3 UCLA on Saturday.
That should change.
Freshman guard Kobi Simmons had a career-high 20 points and freshman forward Lauri Markkanen added 18 when the Wildcats extended their winning streak to 12 games with a 96-85 victory over the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion.
"Like I told our guys, when you come to a place like UCLA, it is not really what you say or think, it's what you do," Arizona coach Sean Miller said.
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"You earn respect through performance. And today I'm sure we earned the respect of a lot of people because of how we played against a great team. And UCLA is a great team. I think they have a chance to win the whole thing, I really do. They are great on offense, for sure."
UCLA guard Isaac Hamilton brought the Bruins within six at 89-83 on two free throws with 1:11 remaining, but Markkanen scored on a follow dunk and a free throw to put the game away.
Arizona sophomore guard Allonzo Trier had 12 points in his first appearance of the season after missing the previous 19 games under NCAA suspension. He averaged 14.8 points a game last season and was the Wildcats' leading returning scorer.
Trier also had seven rebounds and four assists as the Wildcats (18-2, 7-0) had a 42-33 rebounding edge.
"They (the Bruins) have a good team," said Markkanen, who had seven rebounds and no turnovers in 32 minutes.
"We have a lot of confidence in our team. We trust what we do every day. It is nice to have Allonzo back. That gives us a little more confidence, knowing we have the whole team."
UCLA freshman guard Lonzo Ball had a career-high 24 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds for the Bruins (19-2, 5-2), who had a six-game winning streak broken and suffered their first home loss of the season.
Center Dusan Ristic had 11 points and seven rebounds for Arizona. Forward Rawle Alkins and reserve forward Chase Comanche had 10 points apiece.
Bryce Alford had 15 points, Hamilton had 14 and T.J. Leaf had 12.
"They're an outstanding basketball team," UCLA coach Steve Alford said. "This was our first look at them. On film, they looked good. In person, they looked even better."
Arizona had not beaten a team ranked this high since dismantling No. 3 Duke 93-77 in the NCAA Sweet 16 matchup in March, 2011.
Arizona's only losses are to No. 4 Gonzaga and No. 13 Butler. UCLA's only previous loss was to No. 11 Oregon.
"We knew how high our ceiling was," said Simmons, who was matched against Ball much of the game.
"We knew it since Day 1. As we got bumped out, each and every game we keep grinding out. It was just making a statement to everybody."
The Wildcats had the biggest lead for either team at 55-41 when Simmons made an 18-foot jumper two minutes into the second half. Simmons was called for a technical foul on the play, however, and UCLA converted a free throw and a dunk on the ensuing possession.
UCLA got within two points on a Hamilton three with 11 1/2 minutes left before Arizona went on a 14-6 run.
Trier scored the final six points of the first half to cap an 11-4 run for a 48-37 halftime lead. Trier hit a 3-pointer from the right wing with 54.7 seconds left in the half, his first field goal of the season, and added a free throw and a driving layup in the final second.
Ball had 15 points in the first half, when UCLA led by as many as six.
NOTES: Arizona G Allonzo Trier entered the game with 13:42 remaining in the first half, his first appearance after missing the first 19 games under an NCAA suspension for testing positive for an illegal substance. The NCAA informed Arizona on Friday that Trier's most recent drug test was negative, thus making him eligible. ... UCLA honored center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a halftime ceremony. "A number of my heroes attended this school, like Jackie Robinson," Abdul-Jabbar said. Former UCLA players Lucius Allen and Jamaal Wilkes attended. .... UCLA and Arizona last met when both were ranked in the AP Top 25 on Jan. 20, 2007, when the No. 3 Bruins beat No. 11 Arizona, 73-69, in Pauley.
