For the second straight season, the Bruins’ eighth game of their campaign will be against one of the best teams in the nation. But unlike last year when the blue and gold stumbled into the matchup with an underwhelming start to the season, the Bruins are undefeated and exceeding expectations ahead of the ranked showdown. Read more...

Photo: Senior guard Charisma Osborne takes the ball up the court. Osborne paces UCLA in scoring, and the veteran is expected to anchor the Bruins when they face the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday afternoon. (Megan Cai/Assistant Photo editor)

One bank off the backboard and Camryn Brown would seal the game. However, when she missed her layup, she caught the rebound for the put-back. It failed to find the bottom of the net as the clock expired, and the Bruins headed to overtime. Read more...

Photo: Senior guard Charisma Osborne dribbles up the court. Osborne averaged 20 points and four rebounds per game across all three contests of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament over the weekend. Osborne was crowned Battle 4 Atlantis tournament MVP following the Bruins’ overtime championship victory against Marquette on Monday. (Alex Driscoll/Daily Bruin staff)

Last year, the Bruins averaged 9.67 points off the bench per game through their first three contests. Through three matchups to open this year, they have bested that stat line by more than 15 points and averaged just over 26 bench points per game. Read more...

Photo: Freshman guard Kiki Rice arm bars a defender. The newcomer has made an immediate impact for UCLA women’s basketball and was one of five Bruins scoring in double figures in its latest contest against Troy. (Alex Driscoll/Daily Bruin staff)