LOS ANGELES – Senior Japreece Dean scored a career-high 28 points and had seven assists as the UCLA women's basketball team took down California, 80-74, on Sunday evening at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
Dean had just one turnover in nearly 40 minutes of action and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
Sophomore Michaela Onyenwere recorded her 13th 20-plus point game of the season, finishing with 23 on 8-for-17 shooting, which included two 3-pointers.
Senior Kennedy Burke scored 13 points, all of which came in the second half, while redshirt senior Lajahna Drummer had seven points and four rebounds.
UCLA shot 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from 3-point range and went 21-for-23 (91.3 percent) from the free throw line. The Bruins also scored 26 points off turnovers.
The Storyline
UCLA started the game hot, hitting its first four shots from the field, which included a pair of 3-pointers from Dean, to take an early 10-5 advantage.
The Bears responded with a 9-2 run to go up one before Onyenwere swooshed a triple on the right wing to put UCLA back on top.
Onyenwere pulled down a rebound and took it coast-to-coast to knot the affair at 19 before Cal got a last-second triple to go back up by three entering the second frame.
Down four (25-21), the Bruins used a 14-2 run to take an eight-point advantage, as Dean scored with the left to extend the advantage to 35-27 with 4:30 left to play in the first half.
UCLA ultimately took a 43-33 lead into the locker room thanks to a late jumper by Dean on the inbounds play. The Bruins shot 48.6 percent (17-for-35) in the first half and scored 20 points off 11 Bear turnovers.
Dean connected from downtown to extend UCLA's lead to 14 (47-33), bringing the senior to 19 points on the night. However, California fired back with a 10-0 run in a 1:48 stretch to pull within four (47-43).
A trey by freshman Kiara Jefferson in the corner put UCLA up six (56-50), and then Burke got the block on one end and turned it into a score on the other to make it an eight-point game.
Eleven unanswered points from the Bears put them up three (61-58) before Onyenwere grabbed a miss and scored an and-one to make the game even.
Onyenwere stepped into a 3-pointer to regain the lead midway through the fourth quarter, and then Dean later buried a big-time 3-pointer to extend the advantage to six.
In the final 40 seconds, Dean, Onyenwere and Burke combined to go 8-for-8 from the stripe to seal the win.
Key Stats of the Game
27 – UCLA pushed tempo, getting 27 fast break points compared to 13 by Cal.
16 – The Bruins forced 16 turnovers while committing only nine of their own.
Up Next
UCLA faces No. 3 Oregon (Feb. 22) and No. 9 Oregon State (Feb. 24). The games will air on the Pac-12 Networks (Los Angeles, Oregon).
Dean had just one turnover in nearly 40 minutes of action and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
Sophomore Michaela Onyenwere recorded her 13th 20-plus point game of the season, finishing with 23 on 8-for-17 shooting, which included two 3-pointers.
Senior Kennedy Burke scored 13 points, all of which came in the second half, while redshirt senior Lajahna Drummer had seven points and four rebounds.
UCLA shot 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from 3-point range and went 21-for-23 (91.3 percent) from the free throw line. The Bruins also scored 26 points off turnovers.
The Storyline
UCLA started the game hot, hitting its first four shots from the field, which included a pair of 3-pointers from Dean, to take an early 10-5 advantage.
UCLA is 4-for-4 to start, and the Bruins have doubled-up the Bears early!
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 18, 2019
10-5 UCLA | 1Q 6:58 pic.twitter.com/EkE2DDSF4x
The Bears responded with a 9-2 run to go up one before Onyenwere swooshed a triple on the right wing to put UCLA back on top.
This 3-pointer is true for @_itsmichaela! pic.twitter.com/P1eGB7ij9j
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 18, 2019
Onyenwere pulled down a rebound and took it coast-to-coast to knot the affair at 19 before Cal got a last-second triple to go back up by three entering the second frame.
Coast ?? Coast! @_itsmichaela finishes the first quarter with 9? points on 4-for-7 shooting.
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 18, 2019
22-19 Cal pic.twitter.com/SQ0xw95arU
Down four (25-21), the Bruins used a 14-2 run to take an eight-point advantage, as Dean scored with the left to extend the advantage to 35-27 with 4:30 left to play in the first half.
UCLA is a on a 14-2 run and is shooting 55.6 percent to get its largest lead of the game!
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 18, 2019
35-27 Bruins | 2Q 4:30 pic.twitter.com/KKmNIhBeFr
UCLA ultimately took a 43-33 lead into the locker room thanks to a late jumper by Dean on the inbounds play. The Bruins shot 48.6 percent (17-for-35) in the first half and scored 20 points off 11 Bear turnovers.
Dean connected from downtown to extend UCLA's lead to 14 (47-33), bringing the senior to 19 points on the night. However, California fired back with a 10-0 run in a 1:48 stretch to pull within four (47-43).
.@japreece24 connects from deep, but California responds with a 9-0 run to get back in it.
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 18, 2019
47-42 UCLA | 3Q 6:03 pic.twitter.com/xIyxISBl8S
A trey by freshman Kiara Jefferson in the corner put UCLA up six (56-50), and then Burke got the block on one end and turned it into a score on the other to make it an eight-point game.
Kennedy Burke with the block and the bucket on the other end!
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 18, 2019
BIG TIME! ?? pic.twitter.com/DfLtFYQ0mS
Eleven unanswered points from the Bears put them up three (61-58) before Onyenwere grabbed a miss and scored an and-one to make the game even.
Onyenwere stepped into a 3-pointer to regain the lead midway through the fourth quarter, and then Dean later buried a big-time 3-pointer to extend the advantage to six.
.@japreece24 WITH THE THREE! ?????? pic.twitter.com/yqR8PauqjK
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 18, 2019
In the final 40 seconds, Dean, Onyenwere and Burke combined to go 8-for-8 from the stripe to seal the win.
Key Stats of the Game
27 – UCLA pushed tempo, getting 27 fast break points compared to 13 by Cal.
16 – The Bruins forced 16 turnovers while committing only nine of their own.
Up Next
UCLA faces No. 3 Oregon (Feb. 22) and No. 9 Oregon State (Feb. 24). The games will air on the Pac-12 Networks (Los Angeles, Oregon).