TEMPE, Ariz. _ A big scoring run late in the first half carried the Arizona State Sun Devils to a 79-64 victory over the University of Central Arkansas Bears on Saturday in the season opener for both teams at Wells Fargo Arena.

The Sun Devils went on a 20-2 run in the final three minutes of the first half to open up a 49-31 halftime lead. Arizona State placed four players in double figures, led by 17 points from Jordan Bachynski, a 7-foot-2 junior center. Bachynski was 8 of 10 from the field and added 11 rebounds and a school-record 9 blocked shots.

UCA’s 6-8 junior forward Jordan Harks, forced to battle three players taller than 6-10 throughout the game, topped the Bears with 16 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 6 of 12 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. Despite a huge size disadvantage, the Bears were only outrebounded 47-46 and forced 16 turnovers on the defensive end.

Senior forward Jarvis Garner added 11 points and 6 rebounds for the Bears (0-1). Jahii Carson had 15 points and Evan Gordon 14 for the Sun Devils. Jonathan Gilling made 3 three-pointers and finished with 11 points. 

UCA, down by as much as 11 points early in the game, tied it at 29-29 on a pair of free throws by Harks. But the Sun Devils ran off 16 straight points to end the half, capped by Gordon’s three-point basket at the buzzer for the 18-point halftime lead. UCA had 16 turnovers in the first half but finished with 19 for the game.

The Bears cut the margin to 12 points early in the second half on DeShone McLure’s three-pointer at the 17:50 mark. McClure, a transfer playing his first game as a Bear, had 9 points and 3 assists. All-Southland Conference guard LaQuentin Miles, in the Top 5 in the league in shooting percentage last season, shot just 4 of 19 from the field and had 8 points for the Bears.

The Bears struggled from three-point range, hitting just 4 of 17 (23.5 percent).

UCA makes its home debut at 7 p.m. Tuesday when it takes on the cross-town Hendrix Warriors at the Farris Center.