Friday, November 24
4:30 PM
UCLA
5-0,0-0Pac-12
78
vs
67
Connecticut
3-2,0-0Big East
1
2
3
4
F
UCLA
28
11
22
17
78
UConn
12
22
8
25
67
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
No. 2 UCLA Downs No. 6 UConn in Cayman Islands Classic, 78-67
November 24, 2023 | Women's Basketball
George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands – No. 2/2 UCLA Women's Basketball (5-0, 0-0 Pac-12) remains undefeated after taking down No. 6/7 UConn (3-2, 0-0 Big East) in its first game of the Cayman Islands Classic on Friday, Nov. 24. The Bruins outlasted the Huskies, winning 78-67 in the top 10 matchup.
Friday's win marks the first victory over UConn in program history in eight meetings between the teams.
Sophomore Kiki Rice led the team in scoring, putting up 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. The point guard flirted with a triple-double, securing 11 rebounds and throwing eight rebounds in the victory.
UCLA outrebounded UConn 44-36 in the game, outpacing the Huskies 32-21 on the offensive glass. Rice led the team on the boards; Angela Dugalic and Lauren Betts had seven apiece. Betts scored 13 points on five made baskets and shot a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe.
Graduate student Charisma Osborne was on fire from distance, scoring 18 points in the game. Every basket Osborne made came from beyond the three-point arc (6-10 3FG). The Bruins shot 48% from three-point range (12-25 3FG).
Rice started the game hot for UCLA. The Bruins scored 10 unanswered to open the game, and the sophomore from Bethesda, Md., scored 10 of UCLA's first 12 points. Rice hit her first of two threes early; she finished 2-for-4 from distance.
The sophomore PG scored 12 points in the first quarter, matching the UConn's scoring output. The Bruins led 28-12 after the first 10 minutes.
The Bruins connected on four of their 15 shots in the second quarter as UConn surged. The Huskies scored 22 points in the period, shooting 8-for-17 to bring the game within five points. Betts scored six of her points in the period; the center attacked the paint to stop an 11-0 run by UConn.
UCLA came out of the halftime break on a mission. Osborne hit her first three-point attempt in the second half, igniting a 12-3 run by the Bruins. The shooting guard knocked down a shot in the corner off a pass out from Dugalic in the paint.
The lead ballooned to 18 in the third; when the score was 59-37 in favor of the Bruins, Osborne and Rice had combined for 37 points. UCLA held UConn to eight points in the period; the Bruins led 61-42 heading into the final frame.
Osborne made her sixth and final three to open the fourth quarter; five Bruins got on the board in the last period. UConn got within nine points after Paige Bueckers hit a three on a fast break, but Rice answered by drawing a foul and knocking down both of her free throw attempts. Graduate student Camryn Brown got a late layup to go to push the lead to 13 with under a minute and a half to go. The Bruins secured the victory, allowing just one basket as time winded down.
UP NEXT: vs. Niagara (Nov. 25)
UCLA takes on Niagara tomorrow to close out its time at the Cayman Islands Classic. Game information below.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: John Gray Gymnasium
Location: George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Tip-off Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
TV: FloHoops
TV Talent: Angel Gray, Kelley Deyo
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus
Friday's win marks the first victory over UConn in program history in eight meetings between the teams.
Sophomore Kiki Rice led the team in scoring, putting up 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. The point guard flirted with a triple-double, securing 11 rebounds and throwing eight rebounds in the victory.
UCLA outrebounded UConn 44-36 in the game, outpacing the Huskies 32-21 on the offensive glass. Rice led the team on the boards; Angela Dugalic and Lauren Betts had seven apiece. Betts scored 13 points on five made baskets and shot a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe.
Graduate student Charisma Osborne was on fire from distance, scoring 18 points in the game. Every basket Osborne made came from beyond the three-point arc (6-10 3FG). The Bruins shot 48% from three-point range (12-25 3FG).
Rice started the game hot for UCLA. The Bruins scored 10 unanswered to open the game, and the sophomore from Bethesda, Md., scored 10 of UCLA's first 12 points. Rice hit her first of two threes early; she finished 2-for-4 from distance.
??-0? run for the Bruins, Kiki got 8? of 'em ??
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) November 25, 2023
??: FloHoops #GoBruins | @kiki_rice0 pic.twitter.com/XKx60GDOdv
The sophomore PG scored 12 points in the first quarter, matching the UConn's scoring output. The Bruins led 28-12 after the first 10 minutes.
The Bruins connected on four of their 15 shots in the second quarter as UConn surged. The Huskies scored 22 points in the period, shooting 8-for-17 to bring the game within five points. Betts scored six of her points in the period; the center attacked the paint to stop an 11-0 run by UConn.
UCLA came out of the halftime break on a mission. Osborne hit her first three-point attempt in the second half, igniting a 12-3 run by the Bruins. The shooting guard knocked down a shot in the corner off a pass out from Dugalic in the paint.
Getting to that inside out game ??
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) November 25, 2023
??: FloHoops (https://t.co/vTqaidLM19)#GoBruins | @FloHoops | @AngelaDugalic x @CharismaOsborne pic.twitter.com/sb4skJ69xR
The lead ballooned to 18 in the third; when the score was 59-37 in favor of the Bruins, Osborne and Rice had combined for 37 points. UCLA held UConn to eight points in the period; the Bruins led 61-42 heading into the final frame.
Osborne made her sixth and final three to open the fourth quarter; five Bruins got on the board in the last period. UConn got within nine points after Paige Bueckers hit a three on a fast break, but Rice answered by drawing a foul and knocking down both of her free throw attempts. Graduate student Camryn Brown got a late layup to go to push the lead to 13 with under a minute and a half to go. The Bruins secured the victory, allowing just one basket as time winded down.
UP NEXT: vs. Niagara (Nov. 25)
UCLA takes on Niagara tomorrow to close out its time at the Cayman Islands Classic. Game information below.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: John Gray Gymnasium
Location: George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Tip-off Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
TV: FloHoops
TV Talent: Angel Gray, Kelley Deyo
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus
Team Stats
UCLA
UConn
FG%
.458
.333
3FG%
.480
.391
FT%
.857
.737
RB
44
36
TO
16
9
STL
3
6
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
6
3FGM
6
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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