Pittsburgh guard Damian Dunn (1) shoots under North Carolina guard Drake Powell (9) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

From Mirror, wire reports

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Johnson scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his first career double-double and UCLA turned in a dominant 78-54 win over Penn State on Saturday.

The Bruins forced 18 Penn State turnovers, turning them into 24 points. UCLA turned the ball over just four times.

UCLA (18-6, 9-4) won its seventh straight game, a streak that includes wins over No. 21 Wisconsin, then-No. 16 Oregon and No. 9 Michigan State.

Zach Hicks sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a pair of free throws to help the Nittany Lions (13-11, 3-10) take 16-14 lead midway through the first half, but Tyler Bilodeau scored at the basket and Skyy Clark and Johnson each dunked following a Penn State turnover as the Bruins went on a 10-0 run to take a 25-16 lead that ballooned to a 44-31 advantage at intermission.

Johnson hit 7 of 12 from the field, including 0-for-3 from distance, and added six assists, four steals and a blocked shot to his totals. Clark was 6 of 7 from the floor and added 14 points and Sebastian Mack added another 14 points off the UCLA bench. Bilodeau contributed 11 points. The Bruins shot 47% from the floor (31 of 66) and had 21 assists and 13 steals.

Penn State, which lost its fifth straight game and ninth in its last 10, shot 38% for the game (19 of 50) and was 11 of 12 from the free throw line. Hicks was the lone double-digit scorer with 14 points and eight rebounds.

The victory leaves UCLA coach Mick Cronin just two wins shy of his 500th career victory.

UCLA travels to face No. 23 Illinois on Tuesday. Penn State takes on USC on Tuesday.

PENN ST. (13-11): Hicks 5-8 2-2 14, Nzeh 1-2 0-0 2, Baldwin 3-8 2-2 9, Dunn 1-5 4-4 7, Kern 3-6 3-4 9, Stewart 3-8 0-0 7, Dilione 1-8 0-0 2, Goodman 2-2 0-0 4, Carter 0-3 0-0 0, Ward 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-50 11-12 54.

UCLA (18-6): Bilodeau 5-11 1-2 11, Andrews 2-7 0-0 5, Clark 6-7 0-0 14, K.Johnson 7-12 1-1 15, Dailey 2-6 3-4 7, Stefanovic 0-4 0-0 0, Mack 4-9 5-6 14, Kyle 2-3 0-0 4, Mara 2-5 1-2 5, Perry 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 31-66 11-15 78.

Halftime–UCLA 44-31. 3-Point Goals–Penn St. 5-21 (Hicks 2-5, Dunn 1-2, Baldwin 1-3, Stewart 1-4, Kern 0-1, Carter 0-3, Dilione 0-3), UCLA 5-19 (Clark 2-3, Perry 1-1, Mack 1-3, Andrews 1-4, Bilodeau 0-1, Dailey 0-1, K.Johnson 0-3, Stefanovic 0-3). Rebounds–Penn St. 31 (Hicks 8), UCLA 33 (K.Johnson 13). Assists–Penn St. 7 (Kern 3), UCLA 21 (K.Johnson 6). Total Fouls–Penn St. 12, UCLA 12. A–9,156 (13,800).

Pitt falls at UNC

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — RJ Davis scored 18 points, Ven-Allen Lubin added 17, and North Carolina defeated Pittsburgh 67-66 on Saturday in a back-and-forth battle between two teams in need of a win.

North Carolina (14-10, 7-5) won after losing four of five games, including a 73-65 setback at Pittsburgh on Jan. 28. The Panthers (14-9, 5-7) have lost seven of nine.

Davis hit a jumper to give North Carolina a 67-66 lead with 52 seconds left in the second half. His shot marked the 12th lead change of the second half and led to a sequence in which the Tar Heels twice missed the front end of the one-and-one without giving up possession.

Pitt’s Jaland Lowe missed a jumper with 27 seconds remaining, got his own rebound and missed on the follow. Lubin, a 67% free-throw shooter, got the rebound of the second shot, was fouled and missed the front end of the one-and-one. Seth Trimble, an 84% free-throw shooter, got the offensive rebound for the Tar Heels, was fouled and missed the front end himself.

After Pitt’s Ishmael Leggett grabbed the rebound, the Panthers called timeout with 13 seconds left. Leggett’s jumper was off the mark as time ran out.

With the exception of a brief six-point lead by the Tar Heels, neither team led by more than three points in the second half.

Trimble had 15 points and Drake Powell 10 for UNC.

Cameron Corhen scored 17 and Lowe 15 for Pitt.

North Carolina led 30-19 with five minutes left in the first half. Pitt rallied with a 10-0 run to get within 30-29 but North Carolina led 35-32 at the break.

North Carolina is at Clemson on Monday. Pitt is at SMU on Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH (14-9): Austin 3-6 0-0 9, Corhen 7-9 3-4 17, Dunn 1-5 4-4 6, Leggett 3-10 3-4 9, Lowe 5-15 3-4 15, G.Diaz Graham 2-4 0-0 6, Cummings 1-2 1-2 4, J.Diaz Graham 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-52 14-18 66.

NORTH CAROLINA (14-10): Lubin 8-12 1-3 17, Cadeau 2-3 1-2 5, R.Davis 6-12 3-4 18, Jackson 0-3 0-0 0, Trimble 6-13 1-2 15, Powell 4-8 0-0 10, Washington 0-2 2-4 2, Withers 0-0 0-0 0, Tyson 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-54 8-15 67.

Halftime–North Carolina 35-32. 3-Point Goals–Pittsburgh 8-17 (Austin 3-5, G.Diaz Graham 2-2, Lowe 2-5, Cummings 1-1, J.Diaz Graham 0-1, Dunn 0-1, Leggett 0-2), North Carolina 7-15 (R.Davis 3-5, Powell 2-3, Trimble 2-5, Cadeau 0-1, Jackson 0-1). Fouled Out–Lowe. Rebounds–Pittsburgh 30 (Austin, Dunn, Leggett 6), North Carolina 24 (Trimble 7). Assists–Pittsburgh 13 (Dunn 5), North Carolina 15 (Cadeau 7). Total Fouls–Pittsburgh 17, North Carolina 16. A–21,750 (21,750).

Clayville leads Flash

CHICAGO — Jeremy Clayville scored 17 points as Saint Francis beat Chicago State 81-69 on Saturday.

Clayville shot 6 for 8, including 5 for 6 from beyond the arc for the Red Flash (10-15, 5-6 Northeast Conference). Valentino Pinedo added 14 points while shooting 5 of 8 from the field and 4 for 5 from the line and had seven rebounds. Daemar Kelly went 5 of 8 from the field (3 for 4 from 3-point range) to finish with 13 points.

The Cougars (4-21, 4-6) were led by Gabe Spinelli, who recorded 23 points and four assists. Jalen Forrest added 17 points and two steals. Quincy Allen finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Saint Francis (10-15): Pinedo 5-8 4-5 14, Cranford 4-10 0-1 10, Kelly 5-8 0-0 13, Moncrief 2-4 2-2 6, Parker 4-7 2-2 11, Clayville 6-8 0-0 17, Rosenberger 2-4 2-2 6, Webb 1-3 0-0 2, Sanon 1-2 0-0 2, Payne 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-55 10-12 81.

CHICAGO ST. (4-21): Crawford 3-7 0-0 8, Delancy 2-2 0-0 4, Forrest 5-12 6-7 17, Robinson 1-4 0-0 3, G.Spinelli 9-17 3-3 23, Allen 5-14 3-4 14, Sunderland 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, J.Spinelli 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-56 12-14 69.

Halftime–Saint Francis 42-41. 3-Point Goals–Saint Francis 11-21 (Clayville 5-6, Kelly 3-4, Cranford 2-7, Parker 1-3, Payne 0-1), Chicago St. 7-30 (Crawford 2-5, G.Spinelli 2-6, Robinson 1-4, Forrest 1-7, Allen 1-8). Rebounds–Saint Francis 33 (Cranford 10), Chicago St. 22 (Allen 8). Assists–Saint Francis 19 (Cranford 7), Chicago St. 8 (G.Spinelli 4). Total Fouls–Saint Francis 15, Chicago St. 16. A–275 (7,000).

PSU Altoona wins

ERIE — The Penn State Altoona men’s basketball team clinched another regular season sweep of a conference opponent on Saturday, when the Lions earned an 80-77 victory over Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference foe Penn State Behrend in the Junker Center.

After a win at home over Behrend (11-11, 6-7 AMCC) earlier this season, Penn State Altoona (13-8, 9-3 AMCC) swept the regular season series.

Trailing midway through the first half, the Lions worked their way into the lead and built a 39-28 advantage by halftime. Penn State Altoona held off Behrend during the second half to seal its ninth conference victory of the season.

“Ecstatic about our performance today. The first half was the best half of basketball we have ever had here in Erie, especially defensively. Thank God (Mason) Kargo was hot early, because he kept us in the game until we all started turning it up,” Penn State Altoona coach David McGreal said. “Winning here has been hard to do for our program, so to be able to pull off the sweep here in the Junker Center made it even more special.”

Kaden Claar (Portage) scored a team-high 19 points for Penn State Altoona, including going 6-for-7 from the floor with a 3-for-3 mark from beyond the arc. Kal-El Gentles scored 15 points and led the Lions in rebounds and assists with seven and three, respectively.

Kargo (Portage) shot 4-for-4 from the floor, including hitting a trio of 3-pointers, and 3-for-3 at the foul line to finish with 14 points. Abiah Charles scored 12 points off the bench. Dwayne Jones and Nehemiah Frye chipped in nine and seven points, respectively.