No. 24 UCLA Hosts CSU Bakersfield

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LOS ANGELES – UCLA (3-2) hosts CSU Bakersfield (1-6) in a nonconference game on Dec. 5 at Pauley Pavilion at 2:05 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion (13,800)
Opponent: CSU Bakersfield
Game Date: Dec. 5, 2015
Game Time: 2:05 p.m. PT/5:05 p.m. ET
Game Info.: Rematch of 2015 WNIT First Round game won by UCLA at home, 70-54
Television: None
Live Stream: UCLA Live Stream
Internet Broadcast: uclabruins.com
Broadcaster: Dave Marcus (play-by-play)

UP NEXT
Venue: Crisler Center
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
Internet Broadcast: uclabruins.com
Broadcaster: Dave Marcus (play-by-play)

CSU BAKERSFIELD SERIES HISTORY
This is just the third meeting between UCLA and CSU Bakersfield with the Bruins winning both previous meetings at home. UCLA won the first meeting 104-57 on Dec. 3, 2008 and last year's meeting in the first round of the WNIT, 70-54 on Mar. 19, 2015.

UCLA led wire-to-wire last year against the Roadrunners, scoring the game's first 11 points. Tyonnna Outland's three-pointer got CSUB on the board at the 14:27 mark. But the Roadrunners never got closer than six points in the game. UCLA led by 36-26 at the break. CSUB outshot the Bruins in the first half (40.7% to 38.2%) but had 16 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, leading to 13 points off turnovers for UCLA. The Bruins opened the second half on a 12-3 run to push the lead to 19 (48-29) with 15:29 to go. Dominique Williams hit just her second three-pointer (on just her third attempt) of the year to give the Bruins their largest lead of the game (51-31) with 14:40 to go. The Roadrunners responded with a run of their own, as the visitors scored 16 of the game's next 19 points to cut the deficit to 54-47 with 9:10 to go. But that would be the closest CSUB would get as Jordin Canada scored five of her eight points in the final four minutes to keep the visitors at bay. UCLA finished shooting 39.1% (25-for-64) while holding CSUB to 28.8% (17-for-59) for the game and a paltry 18.8% (6-for-32) in the second half. UCLA was rattled by the Roadrunners' second-half press, committing 16 turnovers in the final stanza (24 for the game, second-most this season). But the Bruins countered that by hauling in their second-most rebounds of the year to lead 56-34 on the boards. UCLA received double-double efforts from Nirra Fields (26 points, 11 rebounds) and Lajahna Drummer (11 points, 11 rebounds). For Fields, it was her fourth of the season and ninth of her career and it marked Drummer's first of her young career. Outland scored a game-high 28 points (matching her highest for the third time of her career) and added six steals and six rebounds for CSU Bakersfield.

SEASON AND GAME TICKETS ON SALE
Get ready for an exciting season of Bruin Basketball! Get the best seats in Pauley Pavilion at a discounted rate, plus a number of other great benefits, when you purchase a season ticket. Click here to order your seats today!

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.

WHO'S BACK
The Bruins return four starters for the 2015-16 season and a total of 10 letterwinners which accounted for 83% of UCLA's scoring last year. The four starters include senior guard Nirra Fields (15.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.3 spg), an All-Pac-12 honoree; junior guard Kari Korver (10.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.5 apg), a second team Pac-12 All-Academic selection that was one of only three Bruins to play in all 37 games and made the most starts at 36 games; sophomore point guard Jordin Canada, the reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and WNIT MVP (11.8 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.4 rpg, 2.0 spg) that made 30 starts as a true freshman and senior forward Kacy Swain (4.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, .755 FT%), who returns for her final year after making 25 starts last season.

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 75-62 (.547).

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 14 of the team's 20 three-pointers (Korver has made nine, Burke has made five).

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 SET TO CLIMB CHARTS
Senior guard Nirra Fields ranks No. 15 on UCLA's career scoring list with 1,429 points. She needs 108 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 (373).

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 (.383), at No. 3 in makes (121) and at No. 7 in attempts (316).

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 24th in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll with 91 points. The Bruins also received 35 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 16th, 17th, and 18th, respectively. UCLA's season-opening opponent, St. John's, received 14 points (No. 28) in this week's poll. USC (three points) and Oregon (one point) also received votes in this week's AP poll while Washington received two votes in the USA TODAY Poll.

This is just the third meeting between UCLA and CSU Bakersfield with the Bruins winning both previous meetings at home. UCLA won the first meeting 104-57 on Dec. 3, 2008 and last year's meeting in the first round of the WNIT, 70-54 on Mar. 19, 2015.UCLA led wire-to-wire last year against the Roadrunners, scoring the game's first 11 points. Tyonnna Outland's three-pointer got CSUB on the board at the 14:27 mark. But the Roadrunners never got closer than six points in the game. UCLA led by 36-26 at the break. CSUB outshot the Bruins in the first half (40.7% to 38.2%) but had 16 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, leading to 13 points off turnovers for UCLA. The Bruins opened the second half on a 12-3 run to push the lead to 19 (48-29) with 15:29 to go. Dominique Williams hit just her second three-pointer (on just her third attempt) of the year to give the Bruins their largest lead of the game (51-31) with 14:40 to go. The Roadrunners responded with a run of their own, as the visitors scored 16 of the game's next 19 points to cut the deficit to 54-47 with 9:10 to go. But that would be the closest CSUB would get as Jordin Canada scored five of her eight points in the final four minutes to keep the visitors at bay. UCLA finished shooting 39.1% (25-for-64) while holding CSUB to 28.8% (17-for-59) for the game and a paltry 18.8% (6-for-32) in the second half. UCLA was rattled by the Roadrunners' second-half press, committing 16 turnovers in the final stanza (24 for the game, second-most this season). But the Bruins countered that by hauling in their second-most rebounds of the year to lead 56-34 on the boards. UCLA received double-double efforts from Nirra Fields (26 points, 11 rebounds) and Lajahna Drummer (11 points, 11 rebounds). For Fields, it was her fourth of the season and ninth of her career and it marked Drummer's first of her young career. Outland scored a game-high 28 points (matching her highest for the third time of her career) and added six steals and six rebounds for CSU Bakersfield

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