After an uncharacteristic first quarter scoring drought, the Bruins returned from a 16-point deficit to take down the Gauchos.
Following its first loss of the season to No. 1 South Carolina (8-0) on Thursday, No. 15 UCLA women’s basketball (8-1) traveled to opponent territory and defeated UC Santa Barbara (5-2) by a score of 68-57 Saturday.
In their first time back in the Thunderdome in six years, the Bruins scored only four points in the first quarter. The blue and gold started the contest off strong, defensively pushing the Gauchos to the expiration of the shot clock. But UCSB returned the favor, causing UCLA to dish out five turnovers in eight minutes.
The Gauchos then went on a 17-0 run, prompting freshman forward Lina Sontag to hit a layup ending the blue and gold’s six-minute scoring drought. But despite the Bruins’ continuous efforts, UCSB guard Alyssa Marin – who is coming off of a game-high of four assists and four steals – sank a three to finish off the quarter. The Bruins ended the first frame trailing 20-4.
Senior guard Charisma Osborne, who is first in field goals made in the Pac-12, brought her familiar leadership into the game’s second quarter after scoring zero points in the first. She scored five points of her own and took the Bruins on a 9-0 run to open up the second quarter. Osborne shared the run with freshman guard Kiki Rice, who put up eight points in the first half.
After decreasing their lead and outscoring the Gauchos 21-13 in the second quarter, the Bruins turned the game around.
With a 16-3 run in just over five minutes of the second half, the blue and gold took the lead in the game for the first time since the initial minutes of the contest. Marin hit a three-pointer early in the third quarter, which led Osborne to quickly respond with one of her own.
The Bruins scored 10 of their 15 shots behind the three-point line, and steals from Osborne and freshman forward Gabriela Jaquez granted the blue and gold a four-point lead with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Bruins would not relinquish their lead for the rest of the contest.
UCLA finished the game with 68 points compared to 57 points from UCSB to clinch their eighth victory of the season.
The Bruins’ next match will be at home in Pauley Pavilion, where they will compete against Cal State Fullerton next Saturday at 6 p.m.
