UCLA falls to Creighton in season’s first loss in high-scoring game

This post was updated Nov. 21 at 1:41 a.m.

The Bruins have gone from East Asia to the Midwest so far this year, but their domestic record is now worse than their record abroad.

Creighton (4-0) handed No. 23 UCLA men’s basketball (3-1) its first loss of the season in the first matchup of the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday.

In a high-scoring affair, the Bruins struggled to keep up with the offensive firepower of the Bluejays, who entered the game averaging 97.6 points per game. Creighton shot 49 percent from the floor and scored 100 points, the first opponent to post triple digits against UCLA this season.

Creighton guards Mitch Ballock and Marcus Foster combined for 45 points. Ballock scored 22 points on 14 shots, including 4-of-9 from deep after scoring just 26 points in the first three games of the season combined.

For UCLA, four players scored in double digits, including junior guard Aaron Holiday, who led the team with 25 points in 39 minutes. Redshirt sophomore guard Prince Ali added a season-high 18 points off the bench.

Senior center Thomas Welsh recorded his third double-double in four games, with 16 points and 13 rebounds. He also shot 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, his first 3-pointers of the season.

With the exception of Holiday and Welsh, the Bruins shot 0-of-9 from 3. Freshman guards Kris Wilkes and Chris Smith combined to go 0-of-7.

On the bright side, UCLA posted a season low of seven turnovers. They entered the game averaging more than 12 per game.

With the loss, UCLA is set to face the loser of the Baylor vs. Wisconsin matchup in Tuesday’s consolation game.