UCLA
8-3
UC Riverside
6-7
No. 21 UCLA Rallies to Beat UCR
December 29, 2015 | Women's Basketball
SOCIAL MEDIA: WBB on Twitter | WBB on Facebook | WBB on Instagram
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- No. 21 UCLA (8-3) won its sixth straight game on the road against unranked opponents with a 70-56 win at UC Riverside (6-7) on Monday night at the Student Recreation Center in the Bruins' final nonconference game.
Sophomore Monique Billings (15 points and 10 rebounds) and senior Kacy Swain (14 points and a career-high 15 boards) paced the Bruins, each with their fourth double-doubles of their careers and the third of the season.
Junior guard Kari Korver finished with 11 points (all in the third quarter) and freshman Kennedy Burke completed the four Bruins in double figures with 10 points.
UC Riverside jumped out to a 6-2 lead and led most of the opening quarter. UCLA had six unforced turnovers in the first six minutes and only shot 28.6 percent from the field (6-for-21). The Bruins stayed in the opening stanza with a 16-8 rebounding advantage but trailed 15-14 at the end of the period. Burke led UCLA with six points.
The Bruins trailed by as many as seven points (21-14) in the second quarter. Six straight points for UCLA cut it to one. But the Bruins could never catch up in the second. UCLA used a 28-15 advantage on the boards to stay in the game, but trailed 28-27 at the break. Billings scored six points in the quarter to lead the Bruins.
UCLA trailed 32-31 in the third period (5:52) and then went on a 15-2 run over the next three minutes to build a 46-34 lead. The Bruins would end the quarter with a 56-42 advantage after 11 points in the quarter by Korver (three triples), which tied for the third-most points in a quarter by a Bruin this season.
UCLA maintained a double-digit lead throughout the entire fourth period with solid defense and improved shooting and offensive execution. Battling to a 14-14 tie in the fourth, UCLA won the game, 70-56.
For the game, UCLA shot 38.2 percent (26-for-68) and held UC Riverside to 37.5 percent (21-for-56) but only 29.6 percent (8-for-27) in the second half. UCLA dominated the glass, using a 55-28 advantage to post a 23-7 advantage in second chance points.
Rejane Verin was the only Highlander to reach double figures with 24 points.
The Bruins return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 30 when they open Pac-12 play with undefeated USC (12-0) at 7:00 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion on the Pac-12 Networks.
No. 21 UCLA at UC Riverside (Final Nonconference Game)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| No. 21 UCLA | 14 | 13 | 29 | 14 | 70 |
| UC Riverside | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 56 |
