LOS ANGELES – UCLA (9-13, 5-6) snapped a four-game losing streak, sweeping Colorado (10-12, 3-8) in the process with a 72-65 victory on Friday night in Pauley Pavilion.
UCLA scored the game's first 11 points while Colorado missed its first eight shots and turned the ball over five times until Zoe Correal got the Buffaloes on the board with a layup at the 14:33 mark. The Bruins held their largest lead of 17 points in the first half on a traditional three-point play by freshman Monique Billings (32-15) with 2:10 to go. The Buffaloes cut it to 12 pionts by the end of the half, trailing 34-22 at the break.
The Bruins forced 18 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and outscored Colorado 18-4 off turnovers. UCLA also outrebounded Colorado 24-22, but led 10-0 in second chance points. Both teams struggled from the floor, as UCLA outshot Colorado in the first half, 35.1 percent (13-for-37) to 34.5 percent (10-for-29).
In the second half, the Bruins maintianed a double digit lead for much of the period. But a three-pointer by Lexy Kresl with 7:51 to go cut the lead to eight points (56-48). The Buffaloes got hot and cut the lead to one point (58-57) with a traditional three-point play by Jasmine Sborov, capping a 9-0 run for Colorado. Sborov would convert another three-point play to give the Buffaloes their first lead of the game at 61-60 (3:12). Then junior Nirra Fields took over and scored six straight points for the Bruins to push the lead to 66-63 (1:15). Billings got a steal and made a layup to make it 68-63 with 0:57 remaining. Free throws by Jordin Canada down the stretch iced the game for UCLA.
Fields finished with a game-high 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting, including 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. She also added five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Billings ended the night with a career-high 14 points and chipped in six rebounds as well. Canada was the only other Bruin to reach double figures with 12 points (8-for-10) from the free throw line. The 5-foot-6-inch guard added five assists, two steals and a season-high two blocks.
Jamee Swan had a solid game of 17 points, nine rebounds and four blocks to pace Colorado. Lexy Kresl added 13 points and six assists while Sborov rounded out a trio of Buffaloes in double digits with 11 points.
For the game, UCLA forced 28 Colorado turnovers, leading to a 33-15 points off turnovers advantage. the Buffaloes outrebounded UCLA 40-38 and outshot the victors, 41-8 percent (23-for-55) to 37.9 percent (25-for-66).
TIP-INS
COLO: Jen Reese scored a career-high 30 points on 14-of-19 shooting in the Bruins 90-84 win at Colorado earlier in the year. She was held to just four points tonight (1-for-6), making her first basket with :46 remaining.
UCLA: Redshirt sophomore guard Kari Korver was 3-for-4 from three-point range, finishing the game with nine points, extending her consecutive contests with a three-pointer to a team-best nine games.
SCORING ALL KINDS OF WAYS
UCLA outscored Colorado in points in the paint (28-20), off turnovers (33-15), second chance points (18-15), fastbreak points (6-0), from the free throw line (19-13) and bench points (18-15). Colorado made more three-pointers (6-3).
UP NEXT
COLO: at USC on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 1:00 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
UCLA: Hosts Utah on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2:05 p.m.
Women's basketball season tickets are on sale at the UCLA Central Ticket Office (310-UCLA-WIN). For more ticket information, or to buy tickets now, click here.