Ivan Kharchenkov delivered a career night, but it wasn’t enough to prevent No. 5 Arizona from opening its 2026-27 men’s basketball season with an 84-75 loss to No. 22 UCLA on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena in the Hall of Fame Series at Las Vegas.
Kharchenkov finished with a career-high 38 points and 10 rebounds, but the Wildcats couldn’t overcome a 14-point halftime deficit against their former Pac-12 rival.
It marked Arizona’s first season-opening loss in 20 years. The Wildcats lost at Virginia in the 2006-07 opener.
The Wildcats trailed 43-29 at halftime after struggling offensively throughout the opening 20 minutes. UCLA built its advantage with a 14-0 scoring run in the first half after Arizona briefly held an 11-10 lead.
Arizona continued to battle in the second half, cutting the deficit to 48-40 following a basket from Motiejus Krivas and a jumper from Derek Dixon.
Kharchenkov then helped fuel the comeback, connecting on consecutive 3-pointers to bring Arizona within 55-48.
Tommy Lloyd described Arizona’s 84-75 loss to UCLA as getting “punched in the face a little bit.”
“I feel like this can be a great catalyst for us, so we’ve got to take advantage of that.” https://t.co/3tFlcsd8IA
— AZ Band Cat Sports (@AZBandCatSports) November 3, 2026
Dixon also found his shooting touch, knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers to cut UCLA’s advantage to 62-56 with 8:30 remaining.
The Wildcats continued to chip away at the deficit and eventually pulled within one point at 71-70 following a 10-0 run capped by two Kharchenkov free throws with just over three minutes remaining.
UCLA answered with a 3-pointer from Xavier Booker to regain control. Arizona had another opportunity to make it a one-possession game late, but a turnover against the Bruins’ defensive pressure ended the threat.
Kharchenkov finished 12 of 20 from the field and 12 of 16 from the free-throw line. His 38 points were the most by an Arizona player in a loss since Jerryd Bayless scored 39 in 2008.
Dixon contributed 18 points, including 16 in the second half. Krivas added eight points and nine rebounds.
UCLA was led by Trent Perry with 21 points, including an 11-for-11 performance at the free-throw line. Jaylen Petty and Eric Dailey Jr. each finished with 13 points. Petty also contributed seven rebounds and seven assists.
The Bruins won the rebounding battle 45-44 and made the most of their opportunities on the offensive glass, collecting 16 offensive rebounds and scoring 19 second-chance points.
Arizona shot 36.7% from the field and finished 7 of 30 from 3-point range. UCLA shot 38 percent overall and 10 of 29 from beyond the arc.
The Wildcats will look to bounce back Thursday when they return to McKale Center to host Cal Poly in their home opener. Tipoff is not until 8:30 p.m.
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