No.3 UCLA women’s basketball team (19-1, 9-0 Big Ten) defeated Northwestern (8-12, 2-7 Big Ten) 80-46 in the Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois on Sunday afternoon for their 13th win.
Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez led the team with points scored, followed closely by senior center Lauren Betts, senior guard Kiki Rice and graduate guard Gianna Kneepkens. Jaquez had 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting while Rice ended the game with a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, enabling her to defend against her opponents and create scoring opportunities for UCLA.
Kneepkens fired up the game in the first quarter by scoring a 3-pointer and helping UCLA get a boost of confidence right off the bat. UCLA was able to set an intimidating tone as they finished the first quarter with 21-14. The Bruins led in the paint and transition opportunities, ending the first with a big 48-12 advantage in points in the paint and ending the first half with a 15-2 run.
Jaquez was able to shoot 4-for-4 in the first 10 minutes of play, and kept her reputation as a consistent shooter as she led her team and scored 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting in the second quarter.
UCLA’s defense was a key standout of this game as they put a strong wall against the Wildcats. Northwestern was prevented from getting into a defensive scoring mechanism and UCLA was able to out-rebound them 44-25. Grace Sullivan was a leader with 21 points for Northwestern, but had less support from her teammates than top scorers for UCLA.
Rice, who had 10 rebounds and was a leading defensive component for UCLA, commented that “We want to play fast, and so if I can apply pressure being the front line in there, and make life difficult for their guards, it’s going to make everything easier.” UCLA’s head coach Cori Close highlighted Rice’s defensive skill as she commented that ““I love Kiki’s stat line. I just think of her passing decisions with eight assists, the way that she’s making other people better, and then her steals rate, and she’s doing it without fouling.” This defense was clearly a reason for UCLA’s success, and Rice should be proud of her contribution here today.
The third quarter was tiresome for all players, which stood out in the fourth quarter as scoring dropped down to 10 points for UCLA and eight point for Northwestern, a noticeable difference from 24-16 in the previous quarter. However, UCLA carried their endurance till the end as they dominated each segment of play to reach yet another win.
Going forward, UCLA stays undefeated in conference play and extended its winning streak to 13 games today. The Bruins will compete against Illinois on Wednesday, Jan. 28, hopefully to continue their winning streak.
__
Featured Image Photographed by Regan Rhodes/BruinLife
