Kiki Rice netted 20 points as top-ranked UCLA seized a commanding lead en route to a 70-41 triumph over Creighton in the Invisalign Bay Area Women’s Classic on Friday evening. The Bruins dominated despite the absence of star player Lauren Betts.
Angela Dugalic contributed 13 points and 14 rebounds for her second double-double of the season for UCLA (12-0, 1-0 Big Ten), with the team’s suffocating defense disrupting Creighton’s top scorers. Morgan Maly tallied 15 points to pace the Bluejays (9-3, 1-0 Big East), whose eight-game winning streak was halted.
Standing at 6-foot-7, Betts missed her second consecutive game due to a leg injury sustained against Long Beach State on December 14. She leads the team in scoring with an average of 19.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Creighton’s leading scorer, Lauren Jensen, struggled, managing just four points on 2-of-15 shooting after averaging 19.1 points per game prior to the matchup.
Key Points:
Creighton: Creighton struggled offensively in the opening quarter, shooting 1 for 13 and missing all five of their attempted 3-pointers. They finished the game 5 of 22 from beyond the arc. The Bluejays now hold a 0-4 record against UCLA, including a defeat in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
UCLA: Rice impressed with an 8-for-13 shooting performance along with five rebounds and four assists. Additionally, freshman guard Elina Aarnisalo boosted her team-leading assists total to 63 through the first 12 games of her collegiate career.
Key Moment:
UCLA’s hot shooting in the opening quarter, going 11 for 22 from the field including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, propelled them to a commanding 26-4 lead.
Key Stat:
UCLA dominated the glass, outrebounding Creighton 59-26, including a 29-12 advantage in the first half, leading to a 42-23 halftime lead. Janiah Barker contributed significantly with 11 rebounds.
Upcoming:
UCLA will host Nebraska on December 29, while Creighton is set to visit St. John’s on December 28.
