No. 10 UCLA Takes Down Washington State, Secures Weekend Home Sweep

Sunday, January 26

Los Angeles, CA

12:00 PM

UCLA

18-1,7-1Pac-12

Washington State

9-11,2-6Pac-12

Washington St.

UCLA

Freshman Charisma Osborne recorded 16 points, her 11th double-digit scoring performance of the year.

Photo by: UCLA Athletics

No. 10 UCLA Takes Down Washington State, Secures Weekend Home Sweep

January 26, 2020 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Charisma Osborne Postgame Interview

By: UCLA Athletics

LOS ANGELES – No. 10 UCLA women's basketball secured a weekend home sweep with a 66-50 victory over Washington State on Sunday afternoon. The Bruins tied a season-high with 14 steals and added 19 points off Cougar turnovers to control the defensive tempo and secure the victory. With the win, UCLA improves to 18-1 overall and 6-1 in Pac-12 Play. Washington State falls to 10-10 (2-6) on the year.

The Bruins were led by junior Michaela Onyenwere, who led all scores with 23 points, good for her ninth 20+ point performance of the year. Freshman Charisma Osborne put up 16 points and five rebounds in the win, while senior Japreece Dean and junior Lauryn Miller each contributed 10 points.

Borislava Hristova led the Cougars with 14 points on 6-for-14 shooting. Guard Chanelle Molina registered nine rebounds and six assists to go with her four points.

It was a back-and-forth affair early in the first quarter, as both teams ran the floor effectively and got stops at the other end. After Washington State took a 7-6 lead at the 4:46 media timeout, Onyenwere drove strongly into the paint for the easy lay-up, giving UCLA the one-point advantage. Osborne picked up two-straight baskets for the Bruins, but Hristova and Emma Nankervis each answered with lay-ins to tie the score at 14 at the 1:03 mark. Neither team added on, solidifying the 14-14 score at the end of one. Osborne led all scores with eight points in the opening frame.

Osborne continued her strong start with a steal-and-score to open the second quarter (9:37). Natalie Chou joined the party with some strong defense, picking off two-consecutive WSU passes to set up a pair of easy transition lay-ups, giving the Bruins a 20-14 lead at the 9:00 mark. UCLA kept up the defensive pressure, as Dean nabbed the Bruins' fourth steal of the quarter and Onyenwere found her in transition for another easy two (24-16). UCLA went on to finish the second quarter on an 8-4 run to head into the locker room with a 32-20 advantage. The Bruins notched seven steals in the second quarter, alone. Osborne and Onyenwere both reached 10 points in the first half, adding four and three rebounds, respectively.

The Bruins maintained their intensity to open the third quarter, and Onyenwere and Dean exchanged strong drives into lane for lay-ins, giving UCLA their largest lead at 36-20 (9:16). After the teams exchanged baskets, Onyenwere hit her fifth field goal of the afternoon on a leaner in the paint, giving the Bruins a 44-26 lead with 5:12 to play in the third. After a bucket from Hristova, the Bruins went on an 8-0 run with buckets from Onyenwere, Natalie Chou, and Dean (53-29). The Cougars answered with a pair of baskets and UCLA took a 54-33 lead into the fourth quarter.

After WSU got on the board first in the fourth quarter via a second-chance lay-in from Chanelle Molina, Lauryn Miller found Onyenwere on a slick pocket pass for the responding bucket (56-35). The Cougars fought back, going on a quick 11-0 run to cut the deficit to 12 at the 4:57 mark in the fourth. A pair of free throws from Onyenwere halted WSU's run, and a subsequent 6-0 run from the Bruins put UCLA up 66-48 at the 2:26 mark. After a bucket from WSU at the other end, the Bruin grabbed four offensive rebounds to all but ice the game away and secure a 66-50 victory.

UP NEXT
The Bruins hit the road next week and take on Arizona on Friday, Jan. 31. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT/5:00 p.m. PT. UCLA secured a 70-58 victory at home against the Wildcats on Jan. 5.