LOS ANGELES -- Another game that looked to be close for the Bruins ended in a rout as no.1 UCLA (14-0) defeated no. 24 Michigan (10-4) 86-70 on New Year’s Day at Pauley Pavilion.
Michigan called the first timeout for either team 7:17 in the first after a jumper by UCLA freshman guard Elina Aarnisaldo for three put the Bruins up fast 11-2.
The Bruins’ lead didn’t last long as Michigan climbed back after a 9-0 run to tie the score 11 apiece with 4:09 in the first. UCLA head coach Cori Close called a timeout to regroup her team after the tie score.
“Defense and toughness. Bottom line,” Close said on what UCLA needed to adjust to continue competing with the Wolverines. “We went on runs and got scores in transition because we played good defense.”
Scoring slowed down substantially for both teams as the quarter drew to a close and the scoreboard stayed tight. UCLA held on to a slight lead entering the second quarter 17-15.
The momentum shifted toward the Bruins in the early minutes of the second quarter. UCLA opened the quarter with a 6-0 run putting them up 23-15.
UCLA junior forward Janiah Barker charged through a sea of Wolverines on the fast break and laid in a shot to put an exclamation point on the run, sending a bolt of lightning through the home crowd at Pauley Pavilion.
While the first quarter was a tight battle, the Bruins outscored the Wolverines by seven in the second.
The Bruins’ playmaking allowed them to create points around the few holes the Michigan defense had. They out-assisted the Wolverines handily, totaling 29 assists on 35 total field goals for the Bruins.
UCLA padded their lead going into the half, leading 40-29, their largest to that point in the night.
The physicality of the Michigan defense challenged UCLA, forcing the Bruins to fight hard for every point.
“I thought they out-toughed us tonight,” Close said of Michigan's physical effort. “We may have more talent pieces and may have won the game, but they [Michigan] won the toughness, together-ness battle.”
The Bruins maintained their lead throughout the third quarter and managed to keep Michigan from encroaching. UCLA closed out the third quarter ahead by seven, 57-50, despite being outscored by the Wolverines 21-17 in the third quarter.
“We’ve got to be tougher,” UCLA junior center Lauren Betts said. “We always talk about how our character is our ceiling and I think we just need that reminder a little bit today.”
In the fourth quarter, a pair of deep threes by UCLA junior guard Londynn Jones from the corner of the court lit up the crowd and stretched the UCLA lead 65-52.
The notable difference between halves for the Bruins was three-pointers, both in volume and efficiency. UCLA only attempted five threes total in the first half, making two, while in the second half the Bruins were a massive 5-13 from three, bolstered by the efforts of Jones, who was 4-6 from beyond the arc herself.
“I thought Londynn was excellent in terms of her ability to stretch the zone, and then we finally got her some more teamwork shots with that,” Close said. “I thought she was a huge response for us.”
UCLA junior guard Kiki Rice capped off a 9-0 Bruin run in the fourth when she stepped through a wall of Michigan defenders to deliver a layup under the basket. Rice led the Bruins in scoring with 16 points, while five Bruins in total put up double digit points.
The run came as the last minute of the match approached and all but sealed the victory for the Bruins as they held on to close out the game.
The victory over a ranked conference opponent in Michigan keeps the Bruins’ season perfect and keeps them vying for first place in the conference.
UCLA hits the road to next face off with Indiana Saturday, Jan. 4 at 9 a.m. PT.