SPOKANE, Wash. (AP)- Kyle Wiltjer led the Bulldogs with 20 points in Saturday's loss to UCLA, 71-66.

Down 48-47 midway through the second half, the Bruins (7-3) scored nine straight points to take the lead for good.

Bruce Alford scored 13 points for UCLA. Jonah Bolden added 10, including two free throws with 4.7 seconds left to play. Bolden also had 11 rebounds.

Wiltjer led Gonzaga (6-3) with 20 points and Domantas Sabonis scored 18. Both players had eight rebounds.

Wiltjer is "as good a player as we're going to play all year long," Steve Alford said. "He got 20. Sabonis got 18, but I thought they were hard-earned."

Eric McClellan scored 14 points for Gonzaga and Josh Perkins had 10.

McClellan drove for a layin to pull the Bulldogs within 65-64 with 1:29 left, but Thomas Welsh followed with a put-back basket at the other end.

"I think we grew tonight, though we lost," McClellan said. "That's a talented UCLA team that came in here."

"You can see why they beat Kentucky. They're aggressive at all five positions," he said.

Gonzaga led 32-30 at halftime after outscoring the Bruins 8-2 over the final four minutes.

Both teams came out shooting well. UCLA led 17-14 after barely five minutes when the teams combined to hit 12 of 16 shots, including 7 of 10 from 3-point range.

UP NEXT

Gonzaga hosts Saint Martin's on Monday.