Two days after UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close put her players through one of their most grueling practices all season, the team responded with a gritty effort, doing a lot of the little things right to produce a big 97-67 victory over No. 12 Maryland on Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.
The third-ranked Bruins (17-1 overall, 7-0 Big Ten) used a balanced attack. Gabriela Jaquez set the pace with 22 points (making 10 of 13 shots) while Charlisse Leger-Walker added 17 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and a dazzling no-look pass to Jaquez for a bucket in the fourth quarter. Gianna Kneepkens had 16 points, Angela Dugalic had 12 points, Lauren Betts had 11 points and five blocks, younger sister Sienna Betts had nine points and Kiki Rice dished out six assists.
UCLA remains hot on the heels of top-ranked and undefeated Connecticut (which was idle Sunday) and No. 2 South Carolina, which crushed Coppin State 90-48 two hours before the Bruins took the court. The Bruins have won 11 in a row since their only loss to No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas.
