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LOS ANGELES – No. 20 UCLA (4-2) travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., for its first true road game of the season when it faces Michigan (7-1) at Crisler Center on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. PT/2:00 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Crisler Center (12,707)
Opponent: Michigan
Game Date: Dec. 13, 2015
Game Time: 11:00 a.m. PT/2:00 p.m. ET
Game Info.: Rematch of 2015 WNIT semifinal game won by UCLA at Michigan, 69-65
Television: Big Ten Network
Talent: Lisa Byington (play-by-play); Christy Winters-Scott (analyst); Stephanie Funkhouser (sideline)
Internet Broadcast: uclabruins.com
Broadcaster: Dave Marcus (play-by-play)
COMING UP
Venue: Pauley Pavilion (13,800)
Opponent: UC Irvine
Game Date: Dec. 16, 2015
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET
Game Info.: UCLA leads UC Irvine 8-0 in the series and hasn't faced the Anteaters since 2006
Television: None
Stream: Pac-12.com
Internet Broadcast: uclabruins.com
Broadcaster: Dave Marcus (play-by-play)
MICHIGAN SERIES HISTORY
This is just the third meeting between UCLA and Michigan with the Bruins winning both previous meetings. Both previous meetings occurred in postseason play. UCLA posted a 65-58 first-round NCAA Tournament victory over the Wolverines at Alabama on Mar. 13, 1998. Maylana Martin led UCLA with 16 points while Melanie Pearson had 15 and Janae Hubbard added 12. Stacey Thomas led Michigan with 17 points while Molly Murray was the only other Wolverine to reach double figures with 13.
The Bruins won 69-65 at Michigan in the semifinals of the WNIT last year (April 1) in Crisler Center. The Bruins improved to 18-18. UCLA led 12-8 after a field goal by Nirra Fields (12:21) but the Wolverines went on a 15-3 run to build their largest lead of the game (eight points), 23-15, with 6:41 to go in the first half. Paulina Hersler's three-pointer (5:11) capped a 7-0 run by UCLA to pull to within one at 23-22. Jordin Canada hit a jumper with two seconds left to send the Bruins into the locker room with a 32-31 lead at the half. The game was a tight affair with 12 ties and 11 lead changes. Neither team led by more than three points for the first 15 minutes of the second half. But Kari Korver's fifth three-pointer of the game gave UCLA its largest lead of the contest at 63-58 with 4:26 remaining. Michigan battled back to tie the game at 63-63 with 1:39 remaining. Fields drained a mid-range jumper with 1:09 to go to give the Bruins a two-point lead. UCLA's defense then went to work and got a stop and rebound with :41 left. Michigan only had four fouls and the Bruins were able to run off 20 seconds until they got to the bonus. Lajahna Drummer missed the front end of a one-and-one with :21 to go, but Fields leaped for the offensive rebound and found Korver who was fouled. Korver calmly sank both free throws to give UCLA a 67-63 lead. But the Bruins fouled Shannon Smith on a three-point shot with 0:05 left. Smith made two-of-three to cut the lead to 67-65. UCLA was able to get the ball to Canada with 0:03 to go. Canada was fouled and made both to ice the game for the 69-65 win. UCLA finished shooting 51.9% (28-for-54) from the field. UM shot 38.5% (25-for-65) from the floor and both teams grabbed 36 rebounds. UCLA committed 14 turnovers, compared to just eight by the Wolverines. The Bruins had a 9-1 lead in blocks, thanks to a season-high of five by Corinne Costa. Korver ended the game with 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting from downtown. Canada had her best all-around game of the year with 14 points, nine assists (just two turnovers), a team-high six rebounds and two steals. Fields was the only other Bruin in double figures with 13 points. The Wolverines were led by Smith's 20 points. Nicole Elmblad had 16 points while Katelynn Flaherty added 14 points. Cyesha Goree had a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards for Michigan.
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HEY LOOK, WE'RE ON TV!
UCLA will be making a total of 16 television appearances (15 on the Pac-12 Networks and one on ESPN) during the 2015-16 regular season.
CANADA NAMED TO NAISMITH WATCH LIST
UCLA sophomore point guard Jordin Canada is one of eight sophomores and one of eight Pac-12 players to be named to the Naismith Trophy's Early Season Watch List by the Atlanta Tipoff Club (announced Dec. 10). The watch list includes 50 of the top women's collegiate basketball players who will be in the conversation for the prestigious honor. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men's and Women's College Basketball Players of the Year. Canada is currently leading UCLA in scoring at 19.2 points per game, which ranks sixth in the Pac-12 and 39th in the country. She also paces the Bruins in assists at 6.0 apg, which ranks third in the league and 24th nationally.
BATTLE-TESTED BRUINS
In addition to the four starters, UCLA also returns three players that all averaged double-digit minutes last year. All three Bruins are part of the top-rated recruiting class from 2014 and include sophomore forward Monique Billings (5.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.4 bpg), sophomore forward Lajahna Drummer (5.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.6 spg) and sophomore guard Kelli Hayes (2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.5 apg). Three other battled-tested Bruins that return for the season are junior guard Dominique Williams (0.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.6 apg), sophomore forward Paulina Hersler (1.7 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.1 apg) and sophomore guard Chrissy Baird (0.4 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.1 bpg).
COACH CLOSE
Head Coach Cori Close is in her fifth year with the Bruins after guiding UCLA to the WNIT title last season with a 62-60 win at West Virginia (Charleston, W.Va.). She sports an overall record of 76-62 (.551).
WELCOME TO WESTWOOD
The UCLA women's basketball team entered the 2015-16 season with another top 10 recruiting class on campus. The reigning WNIT champions have added guard Kennedy Burke (Northridge, Calif./Sierra Canyon HS) and forward Ashley Hearn (Rowlett, Texas/Sachse HS). Both players were ranked in the top 40 in the overall recruiting rankings and in the top five at their respective positions. The Bruins also welcomed in Oklahoma transfer Nicole Kornet. The senior guard will redshirt the 2015-16 season but will be invaluable during practices, going against the eight players on UCLA's roster that are listed as either a freshman or a sophomore this year.
BOMBS AWAY
The Bruins have two three-point shooting contest winners on the roster this year as freshman guard Kennedy Burke won the 2015 high school three-point shooting contest, a competition won by junior guard Kari Korver in 2012. Right now, the pair have combined to make 19 of the team's 28 three-pointers (Korver has made 13, Burke has made six).
BIG MACS ON CAMPUS
UCLA's roster will also feature a school-record-tying four McDonald's All-Americans in 2015-16 as freshman forward Ashley Hearn joins sophomores Jordin Canada and Lajahna Drummer as well as senior guard Nirra Fields.
FIELDS CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
Senior guard Nirra Fields ranks No. 15 on UCLA's career scoring list with 1,431 points. She needs 106 to pass Necie Thompson (1,536 - 1981-83) for 14th. She is 10th in 20-point scoring games (27) and needs four more to pass Nikki Blue (30 - 2003-06). She is 7th in three-point field goals made (111) and 3rd in attempts (375).
KORVER ALSO ON CAREER CHARTS
Junior guard Kari Korver is currently at No. 1 on UCLA's career free throw percentage list at 84.4 percent (108-for-128). She also ranks in the top 10 in all three categories for three-point shooting, ranking No. 4 in three-point percentage (.388), at No. 3 in makes (125) and at No. 6 in attempts (322).
PRESEASON PROJECTIONS
UCLA was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 in 2015-16 in a vote by the league's coaches. For the first time in the history of the poll, Oregon State was selected to win the Pac-12 title. The Beavers received the maximum first place votes with 11 and 121 total points. Stafnord, which had been voted to win the Conference 15-consecutive years prior to this year, collected 104 points for second in the polling, followed by Arizona State, which placed third with 102 points and one first-place vote. Tied for fourth with California, the Bruins and the Golden Bears had 88 points. Washington rounded out the top half of the league, coming in sixth with 68 points. The Bruins were also picked to finish fifth by the Pac-12 media.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
UCLA is currently ranked 20th in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll with 121 points. The Bruins also received 39 points for 28th in the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 women's basketball coaches poll. UCLA has received votes in both polls every week in 2015-16. Several 2015-16 opponents are also ranked or receiving votes in the AP Top 25 Poll as South Carolina is at No. 2 and Notre Dame is at No. 3. Oregon State is ranked No. 7 while Stanford, Arizona State and California are right behind at 14th, 22nd, and 24th, respectively. UCLA's season-opening opponent, St. John's, received 58 points (No. 27) in this week's poll. USC (26 points) and Oregon (one point) also received votes in this week's AP poll while Washington received four votes in the USA TODAY Poll.