Bruins Finish Perfect Conference Season with Crosstown Win, 73-50

Sunday, March 1

Los Angeles, CA

3 p.m. PT

UCLA

USC

Charlisse Leger-Walker_at USC (March 1, 2026)

Photo by: Caren Nicdao

Bruins Finish Perfect Conference Season with Crosstown Win, 73-50

March 01, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score (PDF)

LOS ANGELES – The No. 2-ranked Bruins (28-1, 18-0 B1G) took down their crosstown rivals, 73-50, to close out a perfect conference regular season.

The Trojans (17-12, 9-9 B1G) finish the regular season as the No. 9 seed in the conference, creating a potential meeting in the quarterfinals of the upcoming Big Ten women's basketball tournament.

Two graduate Bruins made their way into the illustrious 2,000-career point club in the win. Graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker eclipsed the milestone with her game-high 20 points (8-13 FG). Gianna Kneepkens needed 10 to join Leger-Walker; she had 14 points (2-5 3FG), five assists and three rebounds in the victory.

The Bruins dominated the glass, finishing with a 47-22 advantage on the boards. UCLA had 22 offensive rebounds to USC's five; senior Lauren Betts led with 15 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive glass. The center finished with five points, five rebounds and two blocks.

UCLA becomes the fourth team in conference history to go undefeated in conference play, and the first to go 18-0 in the Big Ten since Maryland in 2014-15.

Seniors Gabriela Jaquez (14 PTS) and Kiki Rice (11 PTS) joined Kneepkens and Leger-Walker in double figures. Jaquez had eight rebounds and two steals in the regular season finale.

Kneepkens put a shoulder into freshman Jazzy Davidson to create space for a fadeaway shot, good for the first bucket of the game. Leger-Walker got downhill two possessions later, soaring past two Trojans for a right-hand layup. Lauren Betts posted up and drew a double on back-to-back possessions, resulting in a pair of assists – first she found Jaquez on the cut before getting Leger-Walker a 3-pointer. Rice got on the board with an and-one layup. Sienna Betts was left open with a defender in drop coverage. The freshman hit a spin move and step-through to score her first basket of the game.

Back-to-back assists from LB! ??

??: FS1#GoBruins | @laurenbetts12 x @gabrielarj11 x @Char_legerwalks pic.twitter.com/MjVVb9SiYU
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 1, 2026

Angela Dugalić came out of the media timeout in the first quarter with the correct energy. She blocked a Trojan attempt at a corner three. The Serbian national team member broke a two-and-a-half-minute scoring drought with a 3-pointer after the Bruins kept possession following a foul drawn by Kneepkens. Dugalić fought on the boards for a put-back layup for another second-chance bucket.

The Bruins were up 19-11 at the end of the first.

Kneepkens started the second like she did the first, dribbling to the short corner for a jumper on the left side of the opposing basket. She then found Lauren Betts under the rim for a score. Kneepkens was fouled on the next shot and made both free throws to put UCLA back up double digits early in the second. Lauren Betts locked in on defense for a big block. On the next trip down the floor, Betts flipped it to Leger-Walker for three. The Bruin defense stood strong; Jaquez got a steal that found its way into Kneepkens' hands in transition for three.

After getting a paint touch, a doubled Lauren Betts threw an overhead skip pass across the court; the Bruins swung it to Jaquez who nailed the three. Leger-Walker put the moves on and dropped her defender, Londynn Jones, before cashing in a mid-range jump shot. Lauren Betts got one more paint score before half.

UH OH ??????

??: FS1#GoBruins | @Char_legerwalks pic.twitter.com/zVkZT43eWu
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 1, 2026

The Bruins lead 38-20 at the break.

Leger-Walker hit the brakes and slow-stepped her way to the basket for the first score of the second half. The Trojans went on a 9-0 run after the New Zealand native's basket, forcing an early timeout from Coach Close and the Bruins. Jaquez stopped the bleeding settled UCLA with a corner three out of the media stoppage. Leger-Walker got another 3-pointer to fall, nailing 2,000-career points on the dot with the make.

Welcome to the ???? ???????????? ????????, Charlisse Leger-Walker! ?#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/vlnNfxVt6d
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 2, 2026

Jaquez earned two free throws after driving baseline and drawing the shooting foul. The game got physical late into the third. USC's Kennedy Smith elbowed Dugalić in the face; the foul was upgraded to a flagrant, and Rice knocked down both technical free throws. Rice then navigated a screen from Lauren Betts to get a look at a midrange jumper, which rattled around before falling. Leger-Walker liked the spot, shooting from the free throw line on the next possession to get another two. The Kiwi stayed hot, splashing a three from the right wing on UCLA's final offensive look of the quarter.

UCLA was up 57-36 heading into the final frame.

Rice powered through and got a contested layup to fall to open the scoring in the fourth. Kneepkens wrangled an offensive rebound and dribbled under the basket before powering in a paint bucket; the graduate guard also got to 2,000-career points on the make. Jaquez wanted in on the action and unleashed a floater. Kneepkens hit another three to force USC timeout.

After the stoppage, Lauren Betts secured an offensive board – her 15^th total rebound of the game – and got fouled on the fadeaway jump shot attempt. She knocked down one of her two attempts. The Bruins scored back-to-back transition layups after locking down the defensive end. Leger-Walker found Jaquez first after a stop and board, then hit Rice on the break after her second steal of the game.

CLW swipes it and finds Kiki on the break for a quick bucket! ??

??: FS1#GoBruins | @Char_legerwalks x @kiki_rice0 pic.twitter.com/qeALlH91bf
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 2, 2026

Sienna Betts corralled a miss that ricocheted off Amanda Muse's hands; the freshman forward laid the ball in for a quick score late in the fourth. UCLA held the ball on the final possession, completing a 23-point win and a perfect conference regular season.

UP NEXT: 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament (March 4-8)
The Bruins return to Indianapolis, Ind., for the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament; having locked up the No. 1 seed, UCLA will play its first game in the quarterfinals on Friday.

The No. 1-seed Bruins will take on the winner of the No. 8/9 matchup (Washington vs. USC; Thurs., March 5) at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network on March 6.