UCLA
Saint Mary's (Quarterfinal)
Bruins Advance to WNIT Semifinals with 82-66 Win Over Saint Mary's
March 30, 2015 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – UCLA advanced to the semifinals of the WNIT with an 82-66 win over Saint Mary's on Sunday afternoon in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins improved to 17-18 on the year while SMC ends its season at 23-11.
It was a tight affair for most of the first half with neither team leading by more than three points for the first 10 minutes. Junior Nirra Fields made a crossover move and got the hoop and harm at the 8:42 mark. She missed the free throw, but freshman Lajahna Drummer got the offensive rebound and put it in to give UCLA an 18-14 lead (8:39). Senior Madeline Poteet drained a three-pointer to push the lead to eight (26-18) at the 4:46 mark. The Bruins would build a nine-point lead by halftime when freshman Monique Billings grabbed an offensive rebound off her own missed free throw and scored just before the buzzer to give UCLA a 34-25 advantage.
The Bruins and Saint Mary's both shot 43 percent from the field in the first half. UCLA held a slim 19-18 lead on the boards and won the turnover battle, 8-6.
UCLA scored the first six points of the second half (four by Fields) to immediately extend the lead into double digits (40-26 with 18:24 to go). Billings hit a mid-range jumper with 7:15 to go to give UCLA its largest lead of the game at 18 points (71-53). Saint Mary's never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.
The Bruins' inside-out game was working to perfection the entire second half. Five different guards made a three-pointer, including a season-high two by freshman Kelli Hayes. The Bruins made a season-high 10 three-pointers and are a combined 15-for-24 (62.5%) from downtown in the last two games.
UCLA finished shooting 53.3% (32-for-60) from the field which is the second-best of the season. SMC finished shooting 43.8% (21-for-48) and outrebounded the Bruins 34-30. But the Gaels commited 16 turnovers while UCLA had the second-lowest total of turnovers of its season with just 10.
Fields and freshman Jordin Canada led the Bruins with 13 points apiece. Fields had a career-high nine assists while Canada chipped in seven assists and a game-high five steals. Redshirt sophomore Kari Korver added 12 points (4-for-6 from beyond the arc) while senior Corinne Costa scored 10 points (4-for-4 from the field). Billings ended with seven points and four rebounds while Hayes and Poteet each scored eight points.
The Gaels were led by Lauren Nicholson who had 23 points. Stella Beck was the only other Gael in double figures with 10 points.
The Bruins will now travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face the Wolverines on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m. EDT/4:00 p.m. PDT.
