More than 13,000 spectators crowded Pauley Pavilion for the Bruins’ 13th and final regular season home game last season – a product of crosstown rivals, both top-five teams then, fighting for the Big Ten’s regular season crown.
Although Thursday’s home opener will not reflect that March showdown – at least in terms of stakes – it took 12 wins at Pauley Pavilion for that match to matter so much in the first place.
No. 3 UCLA women’s basketball’s (1-0) duel against UC Santa Barbara (1-0) at Pauley Pavilion could be the first such victory of the Bruins’ 2025-26 campaign.
Even with Monday’s season-opening win, coach Cori Close said she was not pleased with her team’s focus and effort, as 35.5-point favorite UCLA beat San Diego State by just 24.
“Coming into the game flat like that is never a good sign for us,” said graduate student guard Charlisse Leger-Walker. “It’s something that we need to really pick up on, and that’s what coach Cori was alluding to.”
The Bruins committed 13 turnovers – three more than the Aztecs – and shot 25.9% from deep to their opponent’s 40% clip.
UCLA also shot 4-for-17 – and 0-for-8 from beyond the arc – in the final 9:10 of the first quarter and scored just five points in the last four minutes of the third.
“It just comes back to our communication,” Leger-Walker said. “We had a lot of lapses in people not running out to 3-point shooters, and our switches were kind of off. … We just didn’t adjust quickly enough.”
The Bruins allowed the Aztecs to sink 10 of their 25 shot attempts from beyond the arc. San Diego State only took as many or more 3-point shots three times last season – against Cal State Bakersfield, Stephen F. Austin and Bethesda, a school in the NCCAA.
Three Aztec players notched double-digit points, largely thanks to the team’s perimeter accuracy. Two of those players averaged fewer than 7.5 points last season, and the third transferred from a Division II program.
“It was flat all the way around,” Close said. “I didn’t think we had a focus defensively. … It’s a good wake up call. … I didn’t think we played near to our potential on either side of the ball.”
Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez proved a silver lining on both sides of the ball. She led the Bruins with 34 minutes on the floor, four offensive rebounds and seven defensive rebounds. Her plus-minus of 28 trailed only Leger-Walker’s 31, and Jaquez’s 15 points were second on the team behind senior center Lauren Betts’ 21.
“My teammates have my back. If I do miss, they’ll get the board,” Jaquez said. “Shout out to all the coaches that have helped me through the offseason. Now, I’ve just been really focused on getting better and improving.”
It took Jaquez 17 games to record her first and only double-double last season, but the senior’s 15-point, 11-rebound performance in the season opener means she could well surpass the career-high three double-doubles she recorded as a sophomore.
Santa Barbara defeated Division II Cal State Monterey Bay 80-44 in its season opener Monday. While the Gauchos will undeniably face stiffer competition Thursday, they had a trio reach double-digit points – including forward Olivia Bradley who finished with 19 points and shot 7-for-9 from the field.
Following a 10-for-23 performance from deep Monday, Santa Barbara could be an ideal opponent for UCLA to improve its perimeter defense.
But the Gauchos – who recorded 18 turnovers Monday and only logged one more board than a Division II squad – may quickly find themselves drowning against a Bruin squad working to meet Close’s championship-level standards.
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