Saturday, March 17
Los Angeles, Calif.
12:30 PM
UCLA
vs
American
Senior point guard Jordin Canada averaged a double-double in last year's Sweet Sixteen appearance (15.7 points, 12.7 assists).
No. 3 UCLA Set to Host No. 14 American
March 15, 2018 | Women's Basketball
The Bruins and the Eagles will square off on Saturday, March 17 at 12:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2/ESPN3.
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LOS ANGELESย โ Ninth-ranked and third-seeded UCLA (24-7, 14-4 Pac-12 Conference) faces 14th-seeded American (26-6, 16-2 Patriot League) in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 17 at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN3 with Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Chiney Ogwumike (analyst) calling all of the exciting action. Dave Marcus (play-by-play) will be on the call for the Bruins' internet radio broadcast.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the First and Second Rounds at UCLA,ย click here.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent:ย American (26-6, 16-2 Patriot League)
Series:ย First-ever meeting
Venue (Capacity):ย Pauleyย Pavilion (13,800)
Date:ย Saturday, March 17, 2018
Tipoff Time:ย 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET
TV:ย ESPN2/ESPN3
Talent:ย Tiffany Greeneย (play-by-play), Chiney Ogwumike (analyst)
Internet Radio:ย UCLABruins.com
Talent:ย Dave Marcus (play-by-play)
SERIES HISTORY VS. AMERICAN
This is the first-ever meeting between American and UCLA. The Bruins have only faced one team from the Patriot League, defeating Colgate, 68-48, on Nov. 26, 2011, in the consolation game of the Holiday Inn Thanksgiving Classic in Northridge, Calif. Rebekah Gardner had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Atonye Nyingifa added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the 25th-ranked Bruins. Rhema Gardner added 10 boards as UCLA outrebounded winless Colgate 49-36.
UCLA IN THE NCAAย TOURNAMENT
- UCLA is 15-14 (.517) all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- This is the Bruins' 15th NCAA Tournament appearance (22nd postseason appearance including AIAW Tournaments).
- UCLA has won its last six First Round games of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins' last loss in the First Round was a 92-81 setback at Minnesota on March 21, 2004.
- UCLA won its only national title in 1978 (AIAW) with a 90-74 win over Maryland at UCLA.
- UCLA reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2016 for the first time since 1999 and in 2017 made it back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances for the first time in school history (selected to field of 16 of the AIAW Division I Tournament in 1978 and 1979).
- UCLA's best finish in the NCAA Tournament is the Elite Eight in 1999.
- UCLA Head Coach Cori Close is 5-3 (.625) all-time in the NCAA Tournament (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018).
UCLA's senior point guard Jordin Canada has been on a tear as of late, scoring 20 or more points in five of the last six games with three double-doubles. Over that span, she has averaged 22.5 points, 8.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game while shooting 40.9 percent from the field (47-for-115), 35.1 percent from three-point range (13-for-37) and 84.8 percent from the free-throw line (28-for-33).
SENIORS STEPPING UP
In the 77-74 Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal win over California, all three UCLA seniors scored 18 or more points. For Kelli Hayes, it was a career high 18 on a career-best 5-for-7 from three-point range. Monique Billings added 18 points and eight rebounds while Jordin Canada led all scorers with 27 points and added five assists and five steals. The seniors scored 81.8 percent of the Bruins' points against Cal (63-of-77).
CANADA MAKING HISTORY
UCLA's Jordin Canada became the first woman in Pac-12 history to score 1,800 points and dish out 700 assists (UCLA record) at Utah and Colorado (Jan. 12 & 14). She is in exclusive company in all of Pac-12 basketball as well, joining Gary Payton (2,172 points, 938 assists, Oregon State, 1987-90) on the men's side as the only two players to accomplish the feat in the history of the league. She currently ranks 15th all-time in the Pac-12 in career points (2,077) and needs 25 points to move into 14th (Maylana Martin, UCLA 1997-00) and 48 points for 13th (Jayne Appel, STAN, 2007-10). She is third at UCLA and needs 25 points to take over second (Maylana Martin, 2,101, 1997-2000). Canada, the UCLA all-time assist leader, became the Pac-12's all-time leader at No. 8 Oregon (Feb. 19) with 13 assists (now has 796), surpassing Sonja Henning's 757 assists at Stanford from 1998-91. She also ranks second in Pac-12 history with 331 steals and needs 41 to take over first (Lisa Willis, UCLA, 372, 2003-06).
TOP BILLINGS
UCLA's Monique Billings became the third woman in UCLA history and the 14th in Pac-12 history to score 1,500 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career in the win over Stanford (Jan. 21). She now has 1,697 points to rank 11th at UCLA and 39th in the Pac-12. She also has 1,126 boards, which ranks third at UCLA and 15th in the Pac-12. She needs 8 to move into 14th (Val Whiting, STAN, 1,134, 1989-93). Billings, the UCLA all-time leader in blocks (221) just passed Arizona's Shawntinice Polk (2003-05) for 7th all-time in Pac-12 history and needs two to move into 6th (Jenny Mowe, Oregon, 222, 1997-01).
CANADA AMONG NATION'S BEST
Senior point guard Jordin Canada is listed on many statistical charts among the nation's active players in the NCAA for the 2017-18 season. She is currently 2nd in assists (796), 5th in triple doubles (2), 4th in assists per game (5.98 apg), 5th in steals (331), 8th in free throws made (492), 12th in free throw attempts (619), 10th in steals per game (2.49 spg), 12th in field goal attempts (1,797), 16th in scoring (2,077 points), 15th in field goals made (745) and 46th in free throw percentage (79.5%).
BILLINGS AMONG NATION'S BEST
Senior forward Monique Billings is also listed on many statistical charts among the nation's active players in the NCAA for the 2017-18 season. She is currently 4th in rebounding (1,126), 8th in double-doubles (45), 8th in free throw attempts (654), 9th in games played (137), 13th in blocks (221), 23rd in free throws made (417), 41st in scoring (1,697 points) and 45th in field goals made (640).
DRUMMER REBOUNDS
Redshirt junior forward Lajahna Drummer has been a rebounding force in 12 of her last 14 games, grabbing at least six boards in 12 of those contests for an average of 8.3 rebounds per game. She had a career-high-tying 14 boards in a win at Washington State (Jan. 28) and scored 10 points for the second double-double of her career. She had 11 points and 11 rebounds in a win at USC (Feb. 5). She also had 10 rebounds in a win over Stanford (Jan. 21) and 11 in a loss at Oregon State (Feb. 16). She had five points and 11 boards in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal win over California (Mar. 2). She has seven double-digit rebounding games this year (13 in her career).
ONYENWERE ON OFFENSIVE GLASS
Freshman forward Michaela Onyenwere is one of three UCLA Bruins with more offensive rebounds (78) than defensive boards (70) on the year. Her 78 offensive rebounds is second on the team and her 2.5 orpg ranks 9th in the Pac-12. She is thrid on the team in field goal percentage (.474), and has shown the ability to register steals, recording 1.2 per game.
BURKE IS A BALLER
Junior guard Kennedy Burke is one of only two players in the Pac-12 (Sam Thomas, Fr., Arizona) ranked in the top 12 in both steals and blocks (in all games). She averages 1.8 steals per game which is second on the team and fifth in the Pac-12. She also averages 0.9 blocks per game, which is also second on the squad and tied for 12th in the league. Burke also ranks third on the team and 26th in the Pac-12 in scoring (10.3 ppg).
HAYES FOR THREE
Senior guard Kelli Hayes entered her senior season shooting 23.0 percent (17-for-74) from three-point range. This season, it has become a strength, as she has made more three-pointers this year than in the previous three combined, going 47-for-128 for 36.7 percent. The number of three-point field goals made and attempted is tops on the team.
DEAN'S LIST
Junior guard Japreece Dean missed the first nine games of the year due to NCAA transfer rules, but she is quickly making up for lost time. She is third on the team in three-point field goals made (35) and in attempts (110). Her 1.8 three-point field goals made per game in Pac-12 play leads the team and ranked 9th in the league. Her 31.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc ranks fourth on the team. She has made at least one three-pointer in 15 of 22 games she has played and hit multiple treys in a game 10 times this year, including a high of five in wins at Colorado (Jan. 14) and Washington (Jan. 26).
IT'S MILLER TIME
Freshman forward Lauryn Miller leads the squad in field goal percentage at 55.8 percent (24-for-43) on the season. The number of makes don't qualify her for the Pac-12 or NCAA rankings, but she has shown signs of brilliance in her first collegiate campaign, logging six perfect games without a miss from the field.
BIG MACS ON CAMPUS
UCLA's roster features a school-record five McDonald's All-Americans in 2017-18 as freshman forward Michaela Onyenwere (2017) joins redshirt freshman guard Lindsey Corsaro (2016), junior forward Ashley Hearn (2015), redshirt junior forward Lajahna Drummer (2014) and senior point guard Jordin Canada (2014) as current Bruins that have played in the McDonald's All-American Game.
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