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PULLMAN, Wash., – No. 17 UCLA (11-5, 3-2) concludes its three-game road trip this week when it faces Washington State (12-5, 3-3) on Friday (Jan. 15). Tip-off is slated for 12:00 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. ET on the Pac-12 Networks.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Washington State (11-5, 2-3)
Venue: Beasley Coliseum (11,671)
Game Date: Jan. 17, 2016
Game Time: 12:00 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. ET
Game Info.: This is the third of three straight Pac-12 road games for the Bruins.
Television: Pac-12 Networks
Talent: Anne Marie Anderson (play-by-play), Tammy Blackburn (analyst)
Internet Audio Broadcast: uclabruins.com
Broadcaster: Dave Marcus (play-by-play)
COMING UP
Opponent: California (10-6, 1-4)
Venue: Pauley Pavilion (13,800)
Game Date: Jan. 22, 2016
Game Time: 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET
Game Info.: This is the only meeting against California in Pac-12 play this season.
Television: Pac-12 Networks
Talent: Krista Blunk (play-by-play), Mary Murphy (analyst)
Internet Audio Broadcast: uclabruins.com
Broadcaster: Dave Marcus (play-by-play)
STORYLINES
l UCLA won the only meeting between the two teams last year, winning 74-69 in Pullman, Wash., on Feb. 26, 2015.
l The Bruins are currently ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll, No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and at No. 23 in the College Sports Madness Poll.
l The Pac-12 Conference is ranked No. 1 in the RPI with five members in the Top 15, seven in the Top 50 and 10 members in the Top 100. Stanford is at No. 3 followed by Arizona State at No. 12, UCLA at No. 13, USC at No. 14 and Oregon State at No. 15. Washington (35) and Utah (38) round out the seven programs in the Top 50. Washington State (55), California (67) and Arizona (72) complete the 10 teams in the Top 100.
l Stanford currently has the No. 3 strength of schedule in the country while UCLA is at No. 6 and Colorado is at No. 10. Arizona State (12), USC (16), Washington (30), Oregon State (31) and Utah (36) round out the eight Pac-12 teams with strength of schedules rated in the Top 50 in the country (as of Jan. 10, 2016).
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 58th meeting between UCLA and Washington State with the Bruins dominating the series 50-7. UCLA has won 27 of the last 28 overall meetings. The Bruins won the only meeting last season, 74-69, in Pullman, Wash., on Feb. 26, 2015. The Bruins got off to a slow start as Wasington State led by five (11-6) after a three-pointer by Lia Galdeira at the 17:02 mark of the first half. WSU made five of its first 10 three-pointers against the Bruins' zone. UCLA switched to man-to-man and immediately went on a 12-0 run to lead 36-29. UCLA led 49-46 at the break. Both teams shot below 28 percent from the field in the second stanza. Neither team led by more than five points in the second half that featured five ties and six lead changes. After Galdeira scored layup to cut it to three (72-69) with :21 to go, Corinne Costa iced the win with two free throws to provide the 74-69 final. Nirra Fields led the Bruins with 14 points while Kari Korver had 13 (11 in the first half). Jordin Canada finished with 10 points and seven assists. Lajahna Drummer had a solid outing with eight points and seven boards while Monique Billings had nine points and five rebounds. Presley beat out Galdeira, 25-24, for game-high scoring honors. They were the only Cougs to reach double figures.
TRENDING
l This is the seventh-straight week UCLA has been ranked in the AP Top 25.
l Jordin Canada has recorded at least one steal in 11 straight games.
l Jordin Canada has had at least two assists in 44 straight games & five or more in 15-of-16 games this year.
l Kari Korver has made at least one three-pointer in 27 straight games.
NATIONAL STATISTICS
As a team, UCLA ranks in the top 100 in 20 different categories: No. 8 Rebounds Per Game (46.25); No. 11 Offensive Rebounds Per Game (17.0); No. 16 Scoring Offense (79.2); No. 17 Rebounds (740); No. 27 Defensive Rebounds Per Game (29.0); No. 32 Steals Per Game (10.5); No. 33 Steals (168); No. 35 Rebound Margin (+7.3); No. 41 Three-Point Field Goal Pct. Defense (.271); No. 51 Field Goal Pct. (.434); No. 53 Free Throw Attempts (328); No. 53 Blocks (76); No. 59 Blocks Per Game (4.8); No. 64 Scoring Margin (+10.6); No. 76 Assists Per Game (14.8); No. 77 Free Throws Made (216); No. 80 Assists (237); No. 87 Won-Lost Pct. (.688); No. 93 Assist Turnover Ratio (0.93) and No. 94 Three-Point Field Goal Pct. (.332).
MORE NATIONAL STATISTICS
l Four of the five Bruin starters rank in the Top 100 in 19 national statistical categories.
l Jordin Canada ranks in the Top 100 in 10 different categories: No. 9 Assists Per Game (6.6 apg); No. 12 Assists (105); No. 43 Assist Turnover Ratio (2.19); No. 50 Steals (40); No. 54 Steals Per Game (2.5 spg); No. 62 Points Per Game (17.9 ppg); No. 65 Field Goal Attempts (242); No. 67 Field Goals Made (108); No. 68 Total Points (286) and No. 79 Free Throw Attempts (80).
l Nirra Fields ranks in the Top 100 in five different categories: No. 58 Steals Per Game (2.47 spg); No. 79 Steals (37); No. 84 in Points Per Game (17.1 ppg); No. 85 Field Goals Made (103) and No. 89 Field Goal Attempts (232).
l Kari Korver ranks in the Top 100 in three categories: No. 36 Three Point Field Goal Pct. (.415), No. 67 Three Point Field Goals Made (39) and No. 74 Three Point Field Goals Made Per Game (2.44).
l Kacy Swain ranks in the Top 100 in one category: No. 98 Rebounds (135).
FIELDS CLIMBING THE BRUIN CHARTS
Senior guard Nirra Fields ranks No. 11 on UCLA's career scoring list with 1,603 points. She needs 75 points to pass Lisa Willis (1,677 - 2003-06) for 10th. She is 9th in 20-point scoring games (32) and needs two more to move into 8th. She is 4th in three-point field goals made (120) and 2nd in attempts (403). She also moved into 4th in field goal attempts (1,564).
KORVER CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
Junior guard Kari Korver is currently at No. 1 on UCLA's career free throw percentage list at 83.8 percent (119-for-142). She also ranks in the top 10 in all three categories for three-point shooting, ranking No. 3 in three-point percentage (.394), at No. 2 in makes (151) and at No. 4 in attempts (383).
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 currently leads the team in scoring at 17.9 points per game, which ranks third in the Pac-12 and 62nd in the country. She also paces the Bruins in assists at 6.6 apg, which ranks first in the league and 9th nationally.
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 48 of the team's 77 three-pointers (62.3% -- Korver has made 39, Burke has made nine).
BIG MACS ON CAMPUS
UCLA's roster features 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.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
UCLA is currently ranked 17th in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll with 287 points. The Bruins also received 83 points for 23rd 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. Arizona State is ranked No. 10 while Stanford is ranked No. 11 and Oregon State is right behind at No. 12. USC is the new Pac-12 team in the Top 25 this week at No. 25. California dropped out of the Top 25 (12 points) while St. John's received seven points and Utah got two points in this week's AP poll. UCLA's season-opening opponent, St. John's, is receiving votes in this week's USA Today poll (53 points) as is California (nine points) and USC (seven points).