This post was updated Nov. 12 at 10:57 p.m.
A year off due to injury has not slowed down Timea Gardiner.
And Thursday night, the fifth-year forward helped secure another win for the Bruins.
No. 10 UCLA women’s basketball (3-0) took down Arizona (2-1) 76-44 on Thursday night at Pauley Pavilion as the former Pac-12 sides fought to remain undefeated. The win marks the 22nd-straight win at home, a streak beginning at the end of the 2024-25 season.
With junior guard Elina Aarnisalo away from the squad while playing for the Finland senior national team in the EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers, freshman guard Somto Okafor stepped into the opening five, marking her first collegiate start. And it did not take her long to get on the scoresheet, knocking down the second bucket for coach Cori Close’s side.
“I think every single one of our players are committed to getting better,” Close said. “They’re not afraid of hard work. There’s no question about their willingness to work, and there’s no question about their desire to be great. I am a huge believer that the work done in the dark always eventually gets revealed in the light. And as long as they stay selfless and hardworking, they will become something pretty special.”
The Bruins opened the game on a 14-4 run, aided by four first-quarter points on a perfect shooting clip by sophomore forward Sienna Betts. The Centennial, Colorado, local entered the match off a career-high performance against UC Irvine, where she had 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field.
UCLA knocked down a trio of 3-pointers through the first frame – two from Gardiner and one from senior guard Donovyn Hunter. The latter took over more of the point guard role in Aarnisalo’s absence, finishing the night with four assists and just one turnover.
Gardiner, who finished the game with two made shots from behind the arc, is returning to the court after sitting out the 2025-26 season for UCLA due to a knee injury. Gardiner’s eight first-quarter points secured a 19-11 lead after the frame – one the Bruins did not give up.
Opening the second quarter, UCLA showed its dominance on the boards with three offensive boards in one play to allow fifth-year guard KK Bransford a reverse layup. The Bruins finished the game outrebounding the Wildcats 51-39, supported by Betts’ team-high 10 rebounds.
And after the two squads traded baskets through the opening minutes of the frame, senior forward Addy Brown began heating up.
“It obviously helps that I’m surrounded by great players,” Brown said. “When I’m able to get it at the top of the key, the court’s pretty open from there, so I’m able to make reads off of that. But again, none of that happens without great teammates around me, and they trust me with the ball in my hands.”
The Iowa State transfer knocked down a shot from behind the arc – her second on the season – before a no-look pass from freshman guard Lina Jerković – one of her three assists through the night – allowed her to do it again. Arizona guard Aliyahna Morris countered with two 3-pointers of her own, but the home side still held an 11-point lead.
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A 6-4 run in favor of the Bruins closed out the half, putting the Wildcats down 37-24 entering the break.
But the Wildcats came out firing, with guard Sumayah Sugapong kicking off the second half with a knocked down shot from behind the arc. The visitors finished the game shooting 3-for-16 from deep, while Close’s squad knocked down seven at a 30.4% clip.
Gardiner and Betts were the only Bruins to score through the first five minutes of the third frame, giving Betts her first points since the first quarter. Gardiner’s six points through the quarter helped to secure her 16 total points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field. Betts finished the night with 11 points, securing the double-double.
“This is my third month back, and so I’m just staying patient and playing with an incredible group,” Gardiner said. “Every time I step out there, I just have such a wave of gratitude to put the jersey on it, to represent UCLA with my teammates, and so I just really just stay in the present moment, having fun with it, and just really taking it for what it is, which is a game.”
A three-point play off a Brown and-1 propelled the Bruins to a 14-2 final four minutes of the third quarter – punctuated by back-to-back 3-pointers from Brown and Bransford – giving the squad the 62-39 lead entering the final 10 minutes of play.
Brown finished the game with a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds on 6-for-13 shooting from the field, including her three 3-pointers on a 50% clip. Bransford contributed 13 points and three steals, her second game in a row with at least three takeaways.
The Wildcats did not have an answer for the home squad’s defense, with forward Breanna Williams – Arizona’s leading scorer and rebounder entering the matchup – finishing the night with just four points and two rebounds. Drivers from Arizona were sent flying away from the basket, as UCLA recorded six blocks through the night, including a team-high three from Betts. The visiting side finished the night shooting just 24.1% from the field, while UCLA finished the night with a 41.4% mark.
An Okafor and-1 allowed the first-year guard to finish the night with 10 points – one of five Bruins to reach double digits – and two steals for the Westwood squad. The final frame showed off more domination, as the Bruins outscored the Wildcats 14-5, their second straight game holding opponents under double digits in the fourth quarter, while allowing the team to secure the 76-44 victory.
Before UCLA’s next matchup Sunday, the 2026 National Championship banner will be lifted into the rafters. The squad will then take on Princeton, where it will look to continue the season undefeated.
“I’m going to stay focused on the areas in which we grew, and then we’re going to pick some more, and we’re going to grow some more before Sunday’s game,” Close said.
