WOMENS BASKETBALL
UCLA 66, Arizona 58
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES - Gabriela Jaquez had 21 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, Kiki Rice scored 20 points and No. 9 UCLA beat Arizona 66-58.
Rice shot 9 of 12 from the field and scored 10 of her points in the first quarter, while Jaquez scored 10 points in the third quarter.
Esmery Martinez scored 15 points for Arizona and Kailyn Gilbert added 14 points.
UCLA (18-4, 7-4 Pac-12) led 31-28 at halftime and 48-43 after three quarters and always seemed to have an answer for Arizona (12-11, 4-7).
The Bruins went on a 9-0 run in the third quarter to take a 40-32 lead. When Arizona pulled within three points at 52-49 in the fourth, the Bruins went on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 59-49.
Lauren Betts returned for UCLA after missing four games with an undisclosed injury. The Bruins were 2-2 without her and coach Cori Close said that she expected her back this season this season.
Betts participated in warmups Friday but didn’t start and entered the game in the first quarter.
Betts, who has the nation’s best field-goal percentage at 68.3% and was averaging more than 15 points per game, scored her first basket in her return on a 6-footer off the glass in the second quarter and finished with six points.
UCLA had a short bench with Angela Dugalic and Lina Sontag playing in the women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Brazil this weekend. Dugalic is playing for Serbia and Sontag for Germany.
Arizona was without four players.
BIG PICTURE
Arizona: The Wildcats are hanging tough in the middle of the pack in the tough Pac-12. If they can make the NCAA Tournament — and the Pac-12 will undoubtedly send many teams — the high level of competition should prove beneficial.
UCLA: The outlook looks bright with Betts back. The Bruins went 2-2 without her.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
February 9, 2024
