After a 36-point victory to open the season, the Bruins and their top-ranked recruiting class in the country will take the court again Thursday.
UCLA women’s basketball (1-0) is set to face UC Riverside (0-1) at home in its second game of the season. The matchup marks the teams’ 14th matchup win history, with Riverside garnering wins most recently in 1972 and 1973.
On Monday, the Bruins made their 2022-2023 season debut against Cal Poly (0-1) in Pauley, headlined by their young, new-look roster in freshman guards Kiki Rice and Londynn Jones in addition to freshman forwards Gabriela Jaquez, Lina Sontag and Christeen Iwuala.
“I’m really excited for where we are going to go right now,” said Coach Cori Close. “All of our freshmen … man, they’re going to be good.”
All ten players that hit the court scored, and two of the four double-digit scorers were freshmen: Rice and Jaquez collected 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Rice picked up her first points for the blue and gold in the second quarter, with a perfect field goal percentage from three attempts.
Rice led the freshman, playing 28 minutes and totaling 12 points and seven assists, finishing as the third-leading scorer.
After recently landing the first ever name, image and likeness deal with the Jordan Brand, Rice acknowledged that her performance at the college level is important not only on a personal level, but for all female athletes in the sport.
“Now you see a lot of the highest profile college national players on the women’s side,” said Rice. “To be playing at UCLA, to use the platform, and to continue to grow and inspire the younger generation of female athletes is something that’s really important to all of us.”
Jaquez stepped onto the court early in the first quarter, knocking down her first shot outside of the three-point line. She was able to tally up seven more points to finish with 10 and added six rebounds to the blue and gold’s 48 total rebounds.
While Jaquez had her collegiate debut as a Bruin on Monday, her brother, senior guard and forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., suited up for his final season opener at UCLA. The duo’s family and friends cheered in the stands for the doubleheader.
“I saw him at the practice facility, Mo Ostin,” Jaquez said. “I just went in there to shoot around, and I was like, ‘Let’s go!’ Just getting hype.”
Jones also made her entrance knocking down two free throws to add to UCLA’s 36-point victory.
While coach Cori Close was impressed by the performance of the freshman class, she explains that all players are held to the same standards.
“I remember recruiting all of them, and I promised them that age … ain’t nothing but a number, and you’re going to have as much freedom and opportunity as you earn,” Close said. “I hold them to a really high standard.”
All-scorers were led by senior guard Charisma Osborne, the only Bruin in the starting five to have donned the blue and gold last year and a selection to the All-Pac-12 Team. Osborne assumed the role of point-guard last season, but the veteran was able to play off-ball with more frequency Monday, with Rice and Jones in the rotation.
Close’s squad will have the opportunity to build on the results of the matchup against the Mustangs on Thursday morning, tipping off against the Highlanders at 11:30 a.m. in Pauley Pavilion.
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