No. 8 Bruins Take On Huskies, Look to Secure Washington Sweep

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GAME INFORMATION
No. 8/7 UCLA (23-3, 12-3) vs. Washington (12-14, 4-11)
Date: Sunday, Feb. 23
Time: 12:00 p.m. PT
Location: Seattle, Wash. (Hec Edmundson Pavilion)
Watch: Pac-12 Network (Ann Schatz, Elise Woodward)
Listen: Live Audio (Play-By-Play: Dave Marcus)

GAME PREVIEW
UCLA (23-3, 12-3) is back in action for its final regular-season road contest of the season, taking on Washington (12-14, 4-11) at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks, with Ann Schatz and Elise Woodward on the play-by-play television call. Dave Marcus handles play-by-play duties for UCLA Radio at ucla.leanplayer.com. Senior day festivities for the Huskies commence following the conclusion of the game.

Today's matchup is the 66th all-time meeting between the Bruins and Huskies, with UCLA holding a slim 33-32 series advantage. The Bruins won the most recent rubber match between the programs earlier in the year (Jan. 24), defeating UW at home, 85-80, in overtime. UCLA overcame a 15-point second quarter deficit to send the game to overtime, where the Bruins opened the extra period on an 8-1 run to put the game away. Michaela Onyenwere was sensational, scoring a career-high 31 points, including 25 in the second half and overtime, to lead UCLA to victory. Natalie Chou (18), Japreece Dean (14), and Chantel Horvat (12) also notched double-digit scoring totals for the Bruins.

The Huskies enter the matchup at 12-14 and just recently knocked off USC, 75-66, on Friday evening for second-straight home victory and their fourth Pac-12 win of the year. UW has already surpassed their 2018-19 win total (11) and currently has two more league victories than they had all of last season. Their victory over the Trojans saw senior guard Amber Melgoza notch 25 points to move into 11th place all time on the UW scoring list. Freshmen Ali Bamberger and Quay Miller also stepped up for the Huskies, each putting up 10 points in the win.

Melgoza is Washington's all-around facilitator, as the senior is averaging 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists this year. The Huskies have also received a boost from sophomore Haley Van Dyke, who leads the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg) and has contributed 8.8 points per contest. The Bruins certainly have to account for the Huskies' proficiency in perimeter defense. UW is currently second in the Pac-12 in steals per game with 10.4 while also limiting opponents to just a 29.5 percent clip from 3-point range.

UP NEXT
The Bruins return home to Pauley Pavilion for their final regular-season homestand of the year, first taking on Colorado on Friday, Feb. 28. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks. Dave Marcus is on the play-by-play call for UCLA Radio at ucla.leanplayer.com. This is the second meeting between the Bruins and Buffaloes this season, as UCLA notched a 65-62 win in Boulder earlier in the year (Jan. 12).

THE STORYLINES

At 23-3, the 2019-20 Bruins are tied with the 2010-11 and 1977-78 squads for the best starts in program history through 26 games.
Charisma Osborne is coming off a monster night in the Bruins' win over Washington State (Feb. 21). The freshman put up a career-high 32 points and added 11 rebounds, good for her first 30-10 game and the first such performance by a Bruin this season.
Osborne has now posted a career-high scoring total in two-straight games as she scored a then-career-high 22 points in UCLA's win over No. 15 Oregon State (Feb. 19).
Senior guard Japreece Dean notched 22 points in UCLA victory over No. 15 Oregon State (Feb. 19), surpassing 1,000 points for her Bruin career. Dean also dished out a career-high 12 assists against the Beavers, her third game with at least 10 assists this season.
Junior Michaela Onyenwere is the Pac-12's second-leading scorer with 19.4 points per game. The forward is also fourth in the Conference in rebounding, grabbing 7.9 boards per contest.
Michael Price Family UCLA Head Women's Basketball Coach Cori Close earned her 100th-career Pac-12 victory in the Bruins' victory over then-No. 6/5 Stanford on Friday, Feb. 7. Close has 195 wins overall and is five victories away from 200 for her career.
UCLA's road sweep of then-No. 6 Stanford (Feb. 7) and California (Feb. 9 was the first Bay Area road sweep for the Bruins since 1999.
With UCLA's victory over No. 15 Oregon State on Monday, the Bruins secured their fifth win over a ranked opponent this year (at No. 12 Indiana, vs. No. 18 Arizona, at No. 19 Arizona State, at No. 6 Stanford, vs. No. 15 Oregon State).
Cori Close was named a top-15 finalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith Women's Coach of the Year.
Guard Japreece Dean was named a top 10 finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award last week. The award is presented annually to the nation's best point guard.
Forward Michaela Onyenwere was named a top 10 finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award last week. The award is presented annually to the nation's best small forward.
UCLA (22-3, 12-3) got off to the best start in program history with 16-straight wins to open the season. The Bruins surpassed the 1980-81 squad's original streak of 12-straight wins to start the year with a 68-66 win over Arizona State (Jan. 3).
With Oregon State's loss to Arizona State (Jan. 12), the Bruins became the last remaining undefeated team in the nation at 16-0. This is the first time the last undefeated team in the nation has been from the Pac-12.
The Bruins opened the season 5-0 in Conference play for the first time since the 2012-13 season, when the team won its first six Pac-12 games.
UCLA leads the Pac-12 in offensive rebounding with 16.1 o-boards per contest this year. The Bruins are also currently second in the Pac-12 in free throws made (12.9) and fewest turnovers (11.4) per game.
UCLA established a season high with 28 offensive rebounds in the team's victory over Washington (Jan. 24). UCLA established a season high with 28 offensive rebounds in the team's victory over Washington (Jan. 24). The Bruins lead the Pac-12 in offensive rebounding with 16.0 per game.
Michaela Onyenwere notched a career-high 31 points in UCLA's win over Washington (Jan. 24), adding nine rebounds and two assists in the performance. She also knocked down a career-high 13 field goals.
The Bruins have won 73 of their last 82 games at Pauley Pavilion, including 15 of their last 16 (12-1 this year). UCLA went 11-5 at home last season.
In 2018-19, Cori Close led UCLA to its fourth-straight 20-win season and fourth-straight trip to the Sweet 16. UCLA joins a list of eight teams in the NCAA that have made the Sweet 16 each of the past four seasons (Baylor, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Oregon State, South Carolina, Stanford, UConn).

BRUINS IN THE POLLS

UCLA is ranked No. 8 in the most recent Associated Press (AP) Poll (Week 16 - Feb. 17, 2020) and No. 7 in the USA Today Coaches Poll (Week 16 - Feb. 18, 2020).
The Bruins have been in the top 10 in both national polls in each of the last 10 weeks.
UCLA was ranked No. 11 in both the Associated Press (AP) and USA TODAY Coaches preseason polls.
The Bruins are one of six Pac-12 teams ranked in both the AP and USA Today Polls.
The Pac-12 Conference boasts four teams in the top-12 in the AP Poll (No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Stanford, No. 8 UCLA, No. 11 Arizona, No. 15 Oregon State, and No. 21 Arizona State).

OSBORNE DAZZLES IN UCLA'S COMEBACK WIN AT WASHINGTON STATE

UCLA improved to 23-3 (12-3) on the year with a 70-62 victory over Washington State behind a career night from Charisma Osborne, who put up a career-high 32 points in the victory.
With 11 rebounds to her credit, Osborne notched the first 30-10 game of her career and the first such performance for the Bruins this year.
The Bruins trailed by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, but clawed back throughout the game and finished the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to take the eight-point win.

DEAN MAKES HISTORY AS UCLA DOWNS OREGON STATE

The Bruins took down No. 15 Oregon State, 83-74, in a hard-fought overtime victory at Pauley Pavilion. It was UCLA's third OT win and fifth victory against a ranked opponent this year.
Senior Japreece Dean put up 22 points in the win and surpassed 1,000 points for her career at UCLA. Dean also dished out a career-high 12 assists, her third game with double-digit assists this season. Freshman guard Charisma Osborne hit four threes en route to a career-high 22 points.
UCLA came back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to tie the game at 67 at the end of regulation. The Bruins outscored the Beavers 16-7 in overtime to secure the victory.

UCLA FALLS TO No. 3 OREGON AT PAULEY

The Bruins fell to No. 3 Oregon, 80-66, suffering just their third loss of the year. UCLA found itself down early and couldn't quite climb out of the hole, despite outscoring the Ducks in the second half and cutting the deficit to 10 in the fourth quarter.
Michaela Onyenwere registered her third-straight 20+ point performance with 23 points, adding six rebounds in the effort. Japreece Dean notched 14 points and is now six points away from 1,000 for her career with the Bruins.
Ruthy Hebard had a monster night for the Ducks, totaling 30 points and 16 rebounds to lead Oregon in both categories. Sabrina Ionescu was an all-around facilitator for the Ducks and put up 18 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.

UCLA WINS OVERTIME THRILLER AT CALIFORNIA

The No. 10 UCLA women's basketball team won a thrilling overtime game over California at Haas Pavilion, taking a 74-70 win. Junior Michaela Onyenwere broke a 70-70 deadlock with a turnaround jumper at the 25.7 mark in OT, a shot that would prove to be the game-winner in Berkeley.
Onyenwere was the game's leading scorer with 21 points on the afternoon, her 11th 20+ point performance of the year. Freshman Charisma Osborne notched 17 points, four rebounds, and two assists on the night. Natalie Chou added 12 points in the win.

CLOSE EARNS 100TH PAC-12 VICTORY AS UCLA DOWNS NO. 6/5 STANFORD

No. 10 UCLA women's basketball traveled to Maples Pavilion and took down No. 6/5 Stanford, 79-69, giving Michael Price Family Head Women's Basketball Coach Cori Cloes her 100th-career Pac-12 victory.
The Bruins were led by Michaela Onyenwere, who put up 29 points and 10 rebounds on the night. The junior notched her 10th 20+ point performance and sixth double-double of the year. Chantel Horvat notched a career-high 14 points and seven rebounds in the victory.
After the Cardinal cut the Bruins' lead to 63-59 at the 3:03 mark, UCLA responded with three-straight baskets from Horvat, Onyenwere, and Charisma Osborne to take its largest lead of the night (69-59) with 1:25 to play. UCLA would ice the game away at the line and solidify the final score at 79-69.

PROTECTING PAULEY

UCLA has been simply dominant in Westwood, winning 73 of its last 82 games at home (.890).
The Bruins are 12-1 at home this season and have won 15 of their last 16 games in Westwood dating back to last season.
The Bruins went 46-3 at home between 2015-16 and 2017-18.

ROAD WARRIORS

UCLA is 10-2 on the road in 2019-20. The Bruins have won three true road games against ranked teams this year: at No. 12 Indiana (Dec. 22), at No. 19 Arizona State (Feb. 2), and at No. 6 Stanford (Feb. 7).
The Bruins have now won 19 of their last 24 road games over the last two seasons.
Five of UCLA's nine road triumphs last season were against ranked opponents and the Bruins' two top-10 road wins in 2018-19 were the most for the program since the 1980-81 season.

ALL-PAC-12 SELECTIONS RETURNING

UCLA returns All-Pac-12 honoree Michaela Onyenwere, the team's top returning scorer (18.3 ppg) and rebounder (8.5 rpg). She eclipsed the 30-point mark at Maryland last season, becoming the second Bruin ever (Nikki Blue) to score at least 30 in the Big Dance and propelling UCLA to its fourth-straight Sweet 16.
Lindsey Corsaro made the Pac-12 All-Freshman team in 2018-19. She averaged 7.3 PPG and 4.4 RPG and scored a career-high 18 points vs. Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament.

FRESH FACES

UCLA's top-10 recruiting class made its debut in Westwood in the win over Weber State on Nov. 5, 2019. The highly-touted includes McDonald's All-Americans, Jaden Owens and Charisma Osborne, as well as 6-2 forward Brynn Masikewich (DNP) and defensive stopper Camryn Brown (DNP).
After redshirting due to NCAA transfer rules (Baylor), Natalie Chou finally had an opportunity to contribute on the court. She played 64 career games (21 starts) for the Lady Bears, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.6 RPG.

HARD WORK IN THE CLASSROOM

The Bruin women's basketball program notched a 100 percent graduation rate in 2018-19, helping UCLA Athletics tally an all-time high Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 92 percent.

YOU BETTER WATCH OUT

Japreece Dean was named to the Watch List for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation's top point guard. A total of 20 point guards were named to the list, five of which came from the Pac-12. This was the most out of any conference in the NCAA. In 2018-19, Dean finished third on the team in scoring with 14.1 points per game and ranked seventh in the Pac-12 in assists per game at 4.9. In the final seven games of the season, she registered 16.7 points and 6.6 assists per outing.
Japreece Dean and Michaela Onyenwere made the Women's Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List. A total of 50 players made the list, which will be trimmed to 30 in early February.
Michaela Onyenwere was one of five forwards from the Pac-12 who earned a spot on the Watch List for the 2020 Cheryl Miller Award, which recognizes the top small forward in the country. Last year, she led the Bruins in scoring (18.3 PPG) and ranked second on the team in rebounds (8.5 RPG). Onyenwere hauled in 4.1 offensive boards – good for second in the Pac-12 and 11th nationally.
Adding to her list of preseason plaudits, Michaela Onyenwere also made the 2019-20 Preseason 'Wade Watch' List, an award given to the best player in women's college basketball. Last season, the award was given to Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon.
Michaela Onyenwere earned a spot on the Women's Preseason Top 30 Watch List on ESPNW for the John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy's®. The list is comprised of 30 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious honor.
Michaela Onyenwere was selected among the 35 outstanding players by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for its 2019-20 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List. Members of the association's board of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders for the National Player of the Year.

ELITE PROGRAM

UCLA eclipsed the 20-win mark and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season under Cori Close.
The Bruins averaged an astounding 17.3 offensive rebounds per game in 2018-19, ranking first in the Pac-12 and second in the NCAA. Over four of those offensive boards came from Michaela Onyenwere, who was 11th in the NCAA in that category.
UCLA took down seven ranked opponents last year.
The Bruins had two top-10 wins, defeating No. 2 Oregon and No. 9 Maryland.
For the fourth-straight season, UCLA finished fourth or higher in the Pac-12 Conference.

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