LOS ANGELES (AP) — Senior guard Donovan Dent had 21 points and nine assists in his UCLA debut to lead the No. 12 Bruins to an 80-74 victory over Eastern Washington in a season opener Monday night. Tyler Bilodeau scored 19 points for the Bruins, who opened a 15-point lead midway through the second half before the Eagles of the Big Sky Conference made it close in the final minutes. Dent, a heralded transfer from New Mexico, had a memorable performance in his Southern California homecoming. He played at Centennial High in Corona and got to know UCLA coach Mick Cronin, a relationship that helped him realize his dream of playing at Pauley Pavilion. Isaiah Moses had 15 points and Alton Hamilton IV 13 for Eastern Washington.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. scored 20 of his career-high 24 points in a record-breaking first half and preseason All-America forward Yaxel Lendeborg finished with 12 points to help No. 7 Michigan rout Oakland 121-78 on Monday night. The Wolverines had 69 points at halftime, breaking the first-half scoring record of 66 set in 1987 against Eastern Michigan. They showed some mercy in the second half, allowing the school’s single-game scoring record to stand at 128 points from 1966 against Purdue. Michigan finished in a tie for the fifth-highest total in program history.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — David Mirkovic scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as No. 17 Illinois opened the season with a 113-55 win over Jackson State. Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Montenegro, is one of four new international players on the Illinois roster this season. Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic each had 21 points, Keaton Wagler had 18, and Jake Davis had 13 for Illinois, which was the highest scoring team in the Big Ten last year. Devin Ree scored 19 points and Daeshun Ruffin added 12 for the Tigers, who shot 30.6% from the field.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — No. 2 Indiana will be without starting guard Drew Evans when it plays Saturday at Penn State. Evans also missed last weekend’s 55-10 victory at Maryland with an undisclosed injury after starting the Hoosiers' first eight games. He was replaced by Zen Michalski, an Ohio State transfer who primarily has played tackle during his career. Coach Curt Cignetti didn't have an update on receiver Elijah Sarratt, who left last weekend's game with a hamstring injury and didn't return. He sounded hopeful of getting back linebacker Aiden Fisher, a preseason All-American who missed the Maryland game.
SEATTLE (AP) — Hannes Steinbach scored 21 points and Bryson Tucker added a double-double to power Washington to a 94-50 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a season opener. Steinbach made 9 of 11 shots, including his only 3-point attempt, and added seven rebounds and six assists for the Huskies. Tucker totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin won’t have its leading rusher or starting center for the rest of the season. Badgers coach Luke Fickell announced Monday that running back Dilin Jones and center Jake Renfro had season-ending surgeries while Wisconsin was off last week. Fickell also said reserve safety Matthew Traynor has a torn ACL and is out for the season. Wisconsin carries a six-game skid into a home game Saturday with No. 24 Washington. Jones was dealing with turf toe. He has rushed for 300 yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Lauren Betts scored 21 points as No. 3 UCLA routed San Diego State 77-53 in the teams' season opener. Gabriela Jaquez and Charlisse Leger-Walker also contributed significantly for the Bruins. UCLA broke the game open in the third quarter with a 16-2 run. The Bruins were without newcomer Sienna Betts and Timea Gardiner due to injuries. UCLA has now beaten San Diego State seven straight times, leading the all-time series 26-6.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Purdue running back Devin Mockobee will miss the rest of his final college season after undergoing ankle surgery late last week, coach Barry Odom has announced. Mockobee finishes his career as the fourth-leading rusher in Boilermakers history with 2,987 yards, trailing only Mike Alstott, Kory Sheets and Otis Armstrong, a College Football Hall of Famer. Mockobee also ranks in the school’s top 10 in carries with 630 and career 100-yard games with nine. Odom said Mockobee injured his ankle late in an Oct. 25 loss to Rutgers. He was ruled out of last weekend’s 21-16 loss at No. 21 following Friday’s surgery. Purdue's next chance to snap a school record 15-game losing streak in conference play comes Saturday when it hosts No. 1 Ohio State.
