No. 3 UCLA Tames Northwestern, 80-46, in Evanston

Sunday, January 25

Evanston, IL

1 p.m. PT

UCLA

19-1,9-0Big Ten

Northwestern

8-12,2-7Big Ten

UCLA

Northwestern

Photo by: UCLA Athletics

No. 3 UCLA Tames Northwestern, 80-46, in Evanston

January 25, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 3-ranked UCLA (19-1, 9-0 B1G) cruised to a 34-point win against Northwestern (8-12, 2-7 B1G) inside Welsh Ryan Arena Sunday afternoon.

Seniors Gabriela Jaquez and Kiki Rice led the way for the Bruins; Jaquez had 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and three steals, Rice finished with a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds). The point guard flirted with a double-double, tossing eight assists in the win.

The Bruins won the paint scoring battle 48-12 and outran the Wildcats in transition, finishing with a 31-10 advantage on the break in the win.

Senior Lauren Betts (16 points) and graduate student Gianna Kneepkens (12 points) joined Jaquez and Rice in double figures. Graduate forward Angela Dugalić filled up the stat sheet in the return to her home state, finishing with five points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Kneepkens cashed a 3-pointer on the opening possession. Betts missed a shot before getting active in the passing department, hit Jaquez on the cut for a left-handed lay in. The Camarillo, Calif., native got to the cup on the next play to put UCLA up five.

Give and go Gabs! ??

??: @B1Gwbball #GoBruins | @laurenbetts12 x @gabrielarj11 pic.twitter.com/1sYR088wgY
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 25, 2026

Rice and Dugalić cashed in a couple of 3-pointers to give the Bruins a 15-6 lead. Sienna Betts got on the board in the first, converting a look at the rim after losing her defender on a pump fake.

Jaquez made her third and fourth baskets in as many attempts before the first quarter break, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 in the first ten minutes of play.

Jaquez kept the hot streak alive, making her first layup of the second quarter for 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting. With three minutes off the clock, Rice came up with a steal and made her way down court. The point guard converted a layup through contact from the last defender and knocked down her and-one free throw to complete the three-point play.

The steal and the AND-OOOOONNNNNEEEEE ?????????

??: @B1Gwbball #GoBruins | @kiki_rice0 pic.twitter.com/MDLlRyLvSW
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 25, 2026

Sienna Betts dropped off a pass to Lena Bilić before setting a screen for the win; with the defender going under, Bilić cashed in a three with her quick trigger. On the next offensive possession, Kneepkens found her way to the middle of the court for a free throw line jumper. Sienna Betts added two after establishing deep post position and rattling in a leaner.

Rice jumped the passing lane and got to the line for another two made free throws when she got to the offensive half. Dugalić found a cutting Jaquez, who sped to the basket from the corner, for an easy layup.

Dugi dimes! ????

??: @BigTenNetwork #GoBruins | @AngelaDugalic x @gabrielarj11 pic.twitter.com/Ja7j7FWAoA
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 25, 2026

After a Lauren Betts steal, Rice drove and laid the ball in for her 10^th point before the half. Lauren Betts then got a turnaround jumper to drop before Kneepkens go fouled on her 3-point attempt. Kneepkens improved to 22-for-23 from the charity stripe on the season with her three makes.

UCLA closed the second quarter on a 11-0 run over the final two minutes and change; the Bruins led 46-22 at the midway break.

Lauren Betts started things for the Bruins in the second half, scoring through contact at the rim. Kneepkens and Jaquez got a pair of fastbreak layups to fall to balloon UCLA's lead to 30 early in the third. Charlisse Leger-Walker leaked out for another look at the rim in transition; UCLA led 54-27 at the first media timeout.

Dugalić passed up a look at a three to find Sienna Betts on the low block; Sienna Betts backed down her defender before flipping a pass back to Dugalić for a push shot in the paint.

Post players playing together ??

??: @BigTenNetwork #GoBruins | @SiennaBetts x @AngelaDugalic pic.twitter.com/qm9PdBH1yZ
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 25, 2026

Lauren Betts was responsible for the Bruins' next three points with a 1-for-2 trip to the charity stripe and a look at the rim off an assist from Sienna Betts.

Jaquez continued her hot shooting night with a layup with just under three minutes to go in the third and a score in transition on the next trip down. Kneepkens kept the pressure on the rim, attacking downhill in transition for a layup past her defender. Rice got rid of her defender thanks to a screen from Amanda Muse; the point guard missed her jumper but found the ricochet and got to the cup through contact for second chance points. Rice converted her and-one free throw to put UCLA up 70-38 before the final frame.

If at first you don't succeed, crash crash the boards ??

??: @BigTenNetwork #GoBruins | @kiki_rice0 pic.twitter.com/rZmRLuIsTy
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 25, 2026

Lauren Betts got a couple of looks at the basket to start the fourth, catching a pair of assists from Rice under the rim. Leger-Walker fought her way into the paint before drawing a foul, knocking down both of her free throws.

Lauren Betts caught the ball on the left block and scanned the defense before getting to a fadeaway shot on the baseline, bringing her total to 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting. She found Sienna Betts a minute later for a layup; the younger Betts finished with six points, six rebounds and four assists in 17 and a half minutes.

UP NEXT: at Illinois (Jan. 28)
The Bruins head south to Urbana-Champaign, Ill., to take on the Fighting Illini on Wednesday, Jan. 28. UCLA and Illinois tip off on B1G+ at 4 p.m. PT.