UCLA Women’s Basketball Stays Perfect in Showdown Against Michigan
The number-one UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team defeated the 24th-ranked University of Michigan Wolverines 86-70 in the matchup between the two powerhouse public universities. Standouts included Londynn Jones, Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, and Angela Dugalic of UCLA, and Syla Swords of the University of Michigan. UCLA was ultimately too deep of a team for the Wolverines to remain in step with, although they had their flashes; UCLA’s bench supplied 29 points, compared to four points from the University of Michigan’s bench. The freshman guard Syla Swords carried the Wolverines with 30 points and two assists, with Olivia Olson and Jordan Hobbs contributing 17 and 10 points, respectively.
The Bruins’ strengths over the Wolverines included their shooting percentage, great size, defensive prowess, and playmaking ability. Other than the presence of Syla Swords, the University of Michigan suffers from a lack of efficient three-point shooters; in fact, Swords posted four of five three-pointers made by the Wolverines, who went five for 19 from three compared to UCLA’s seven for 18. Londynn Jones brought great three-point contributions for the Bruins, going four for six, whilst providing great sparks of perimeter defense despite only being five-foot-four, UCLA’s shortest player. All in all, Jones played her role as a three-and-D guard incredibly well off the bench. Six-foot-seven center Lauren Betts brought her usual impact on defense with four blocks, two steals, and seven defensive rebounds, providing irreplaceable help defense for her teammates. The Bruins also had great ball movement and connective-tissue passing, which benefits from the spacing that Betts provides, as well as their all-around solid passing ability. Kiki Rice was able to finish with 10 assists and a double-double.
Highlights from the Wolverines largely included their creative penetration, especially to the left side. Freshmen Swords and Olson excelled in these areas. Swords has a quick first step and a high motor, both on- and off-ball, allowing her to get open and drive into the paint quickly, even amidst UCLA’s tall and effective defenders. UCLA currently stands with a 14-0 record and will continue their takeover of NCAA Women’s Basketball against the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday, January 4th. The University of Michigan dropped to a 10-4 record and will resume against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Wednesday, January 8th.
