No. 1 Arizona defeats UCLA 79-75, equals best start in school history at 16-0

Arizona guard Nick Johnson, left, shoots as UCLA center Tony Parker defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (The Associated Press)

Arizona guard T.J. McConnell, right, grabs a rebound away from UCLA forward David Wear during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (The Associated Press)

LOS ANGELES – Nick Johnson scored 22 points and No. 1 Arizona withstood UCLA's late 15-1 run to beat the Bruins 79-75 Thursday night, equaling the best start in school history at 16-0.

The Wildcats (3-0 Pac-12) held on despite blowing a 13-point lead with 6:16 to play and committing a season-worst 17 turnovers.

Kaleb Tarczewski made all six of his field goal attempts and scored 16 points for the Wildcats, who snapped a three-game skid against the Bruins in the lone regular-season meeting between the longtime conference powers.

The 1931-32 Wildcats also began the season 16-0.

Freshman Zach LaVine hit a 3-pointer that got UCLA to 77-75 with 15 seconds left, but he missed another one with 2 seconds to go that would have left the Bruins down one.