This post was updated Nov. 16 at 8:55 p.m.
Four Bruins have recorded double-digit scoring performances across the past two contests.
And on Saturday night, the squad proved the ceiling has yet to be set, as a season-high six athletes achieved the feat.
A collective 61% clip from the field fueled No. 3 UCLA women’s basketball (5-0) to a 94-61 stomping of South Florida (2-2) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. Both teams were competing in their second game across three days in the WBCA Challenge.
“It’s super amazing that we have six players in double figures,” said senior guard Gabriela Jaquez. “It just shows, again, the type of team we are. It can be anyone’s night.”
If there was any doubt surrounding UCLA’s competence – after it earned back-to-back ranked victories over No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 11 North Carolina on Nov. 10 and Nov. 13, respectively – coach Cori Close’s squad wasted no time Saturday proving why it is one of the nation’s top teams.
UCLA immediately went on a 14-0 hot streak. And it was graduate student guard Charlisse Leger-Walker who sparked the momentum.
Leger-Walker posted just eight points in UCLA’s game versus UNC on Thursday, but, by the end of the first quarter against USF, Leger-Walker had logged 12 points, shooting 5-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.
The Bruins’ offensive depth – including two 3-pointers from graduate student guard Gianna Kneepkens and 100% shooting from the field from Jaquez – allowed last season’s leading scorer and senior center Lauren Betts to move the ball rather than drive to the basket.
Betts, who faced a double team on most possessions, did not have a single shot attempt in the first quarter, instead recording two assists.
“Sometimes they’re going to send two just to box me out,” Betts said. “It’s everyone’s opportunity to do something and go for those boards.”
A slow start did not prevent Betts from heating up on the court though, as she went on to post 14 points alongside a team-high eight rebounds and three blocks.
USF was unable to mirror UCLA’s efficiency on offense, shooting 37% from the field. While the Bruins recorded a collective 25 defensive rebounds, they struggled to hold off the Bulls from the perimeter in the first half, with guards Katie Davidson and Stefanie Ingram combining for four converted 3-pointers.
“We’ve shown our potential in spurts,” Close said. “Where our fight needs to be is for consistency and discipline in the areas that are under our control. … We can be a great, versatile offensive team, but where we will earn our stripes is in defense and rebounding.”
In the second half, though, the Bulls completed just one basket from beyond the arc, and stagnant scoring led them to a 76-48 deficit by the end of the third quarter. The Bruins’ lead lengthened to a 30-plus point margin by the end of the game. Not only were six players in double-digits, but the team had 23 total assists compared to their opponents’ 11.
Graduate student forward Angela Dugalić – who alongside Lauren Betts has stepped up to lead the frontcourt while forwards freshman Sienna Betts and senior Timea Gardiner are sidelined due to injuries – posted 13 points. She continued a three-game run during which she has averaged 13.7 points per contest, just under double the 7.4 she averaged last season.
The Bruins’ bench, including senior guard/forward Megan Grant – who posted her first points with an offensive board in the dying seconds of Thursday night’s contest – took to the court for the final minutes of the game.
And the softball star and Big Ten single-season home run record holder’s appearance elicited cheers from fans as UCLA ended its trip to Las Vegas with a 33-point victory, leaving Sin City with a perfect record.
“You don’t wait till March to be able to build the mindset and the growth and build your identity and your consistency and your teamwork and your connectivity,” Close said. “You got to picture that March is happening tonight – right now – and what did you earn tonight?”
