Photo by James Wood

TUCSON, Ariz. --- UC Irvine was doubled up by a pair of 7-footers Tuesday night as Lauri Markkanen and Dusan Ristic scored 18 points each to lead 20th-ranked Arizona past the Anteaters, 79-57, before 14,208 at the McKale Center.

Ristic added a game-high 10 rebounds and Rawle Alkins scored 14 points for the Wildcats, who improved to 7-2 on the season.

Jaron Martin led UCI (4-5) with 12 points and Max Hazzard added 10.

Spencer Rivers tied his career highs with eight points and four rebounds while Eyassu Worku scored six points. Tommy Rutherford matched Rivers' team-high four boards.

The 'Eaters took their only lead of the game at 2-1 on a layup by Hazzard with 18:06 left in the first half, but the Wildcats claimed a 39-23 halftime lead on the strength of 14 points from Ristic.

Arizona maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half and led by as many as 30 points at 77-47 after a dunk by Alkins with 2:45 remaining.

The Wildcats shot 53.8 percent from the field and hit 8 of 17 threes while UCI shot 38.2 percent and was just 4 of 20 from three-point range.

Arizona had a slight 32-30 edge on the boards and each team committed 13 turnovers.

"We weren't very good decision-makers tonight," UCI head coach Russell Turner said. "We just have to get better and learn from it."

UCI hosts Pomona-Pitzer Friday night at 7:00 in the Bren Events Center before starting a stretch of five more road games, beginning at 12th-ranked Saint Mary's Sunday at 5:00 p.m.