Thursday, November 27
Las Vegas, Nev.
7:30 p.m. PT
UCLA
7-1,0-0Big Ten
89
vs
59
Duke
3-5,0-0ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Duke
7
18
17
17
59
UCLA
30
13
22
24
89
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
UCLA Feasts on Thanksgiving against Duke, 89-59
November 27, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LAS VEGAS – No. 3-ranked UCLA wrapped the 2025 Players Era Women's Championship with a 30-point blowout over Duke, 89-59, inside Michelob ULTRA Arena on Thursday evening.
The Bruins improve to 7-1 on the season with an all-around effort to compensate for senior Lauren Betts' absence; all five starters got into double figures in UCLA's Thanksgiving victory.
Graduate student Charlisse Leger-Walker and senior Gabriela Jaquez both eclipsed 20 points in the game; Jaquez had a game-high 23 points on .500/.600/1.000 shooting splits. Leger-Walker finished with 20 points (6-11 FG), six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
UCLA made a season-high 13 triples on Thursday, shooting 59.1 percent from long range against the Blue Devils.
Graduate forward Angela Dugalić stole an errant in-bound by the Blue Devils and flipped it to Kneepkens, who found Jaquez for a transition layup for UCLA's first basket of the game. Kneepkens had another assist to Leger-Walker who slow-stepped her way to the cup; the Kiwi guard hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to give UCLA a 7-0 lead out of the gates.
Leger-Walker found Kneepkens in the corner to get UCLA in double digits on her first triple of the night. Leger-Walker hit another three, and Kneepkens kept the pressure on with a midrange jumper. Jaquez pulled out a spin move to get another layup, her second make of the night. The Camarillo, Calif., native knocked down UCLA's fourth-consecutive 3-pointer of the quarter (5-7 3FG in 1Q) on the next possession. Dugalić got a pair of buckets to drop at the rim. Jaquez extended for a left-handed layup, and senior Kiki Rice nailed a three to push UCLA's lead to 23.
Bruins led 30-7 after the first.
Dugalić nailed two free throws to start the second quarter, but the Bruins got sloppy and turned the ball over on three-straight possessions. Duke put together an 8-0 run, forcing Coach Close to call time three minutes into the period.
Jaquez connected on both of her free throw attempts a few trips later, becoming the first Bruin in double figures (11 PTS) and breaking UCLA's three-minute scoring drought. Kneepkens hit her third 3-pointer after four misses by the Bruins. Leger-Walker got fouled and made her first free throw but followed it with a miss; Jaquez hunted the offensive board that found its way back to Leger-Walker for three.
Rice crossed her defender over to get an open free throw line jumper, closing the both first half quarters with UCLA's final make. The Bruins held an 18-point lead going into the break.
Dugalić got downhill and faked her defender for a step-through layup. Kneepkens drove and skipped a pass to Rice, who knocked down a corner three. The point guard from Bethesda, Md., got to her midrange spot for another shot, bringing her into double digits early in the third.
Freshman Lena Bilić got on the board, shooting out in transition and receiving a Kneepkens pass in stride to the rim. The Duluth, Minn., native finished the night with six assists.
Rice connected on another middy to get UCLA's lead back to 21 before Duke connected on a triple. Kneepkens answered with a three of her own on UCLA's next trip down. Dugalić got two more free throws to fall to bring her total to 10. The Bruins held the ball for the last possession; Leger-Walker got fouled on her way to the rim with 2.5 seconds on the clock and swished both her attempts at the charity stripe.
UCLA led 65-42 heading into the final frame.
Leger-Walker opened the fourth with a triple, her fourth of the evening. She hit her fifth of the night out of the media timeout, finishing 5-for-9 from long range. Jaquez hit a triple from the top of the key and attacked the basket off an Amanda Muse screen to keep the pressure on the Blue Devils. After a pair of Rice free throws, Jaquez continued to keep her foot on the gas. The senior wing scored a layup off a second-chance out of bounds play before hitting a three; Jaquez had 10 of her 23 points in the fourth.
UP NEXT: No. 14/11 Tennessee (Nov. 30)
The Bruins return home to face No. 14-ranked Tennessee on Sunday, Nov. 30, in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. PT on FS1.
The Bruins improve to 7-1 on the season with an all-around effort to compensate for senior Lauren Betts' absence; all five starters got into double figures in UCLA's Thanksgiving victory.
Graduate student Charlisse Leger-Walker and senior Gabriela Jaquez both eclipsed 20 points in the game; Jaquez had a game-high 23 points on .500/.600/1.000 shooting splits. Leger-Walker finished with 20 points (6-11 FG), six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
UCLA made a season-high 13 triples on Thursday, shooting 59.1 percent from long range against the Blue Devils.
Graduate forward Angela Dugalić stole an errant in-bound by the Blue Devils and flipped it to Kneepkens, who found Jaquez for a transition layup for UCLA's first basket of the game. Kneepkens had another assist to Leger-Walker who slow-stepped her way to the cup; the Kiwi guard hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to give UCLA a 7-0 lead out of the gates.
5?-straight points for No. 5?, and Duke needs a break! ??
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) November 28, 2025
1Q | 7:20
Duke - 0
No. 3 UCLA - 7#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/UvaiKSQFnS
Leger-Walker found Kneepkens in the corner to get UCLA in double digits on her first triple of the night. Leger-Walker hit another three, and Kneepkens kept the pressure on with a midrange jumper. Jaquez pulled out a spin move to get another layup, her second make of the night. The Camarillo, Calif., native knocked down UCLA's fourth-consecutive 3-pointer of the quarter (5-7 3FG in 1Q) on the next possession. Dugalić got a pair of buckets to drop at the rim. Jaquez extended for a left-handed layup, and senior Kiki Rice nailed a three to push UCLA's lead to 23.
No. 3 @UCLAWBB is up 23 on Duke after the first quarter ??
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) November 28, 2025
Catch more @Players_Era hoops NOW on truTV & HBO Max! pic.twitter.com/zUGaW1K3rc
Bruins led 30-7 after the first.
Dugalić nailed two free throws to start the second quarter, but the Bruins got sloppy and turned the ball over on three-straight possessions. Duke put together an 8-0 run, forcing Coach Close to call time three minutes into the period.
Jaquez connected on both of her free throw attempts a few trips later, becoming the first Bruin in double figures (11 PTS) and breaking UCLA's three-minute scoring drought. Kneepkens hit her third 3-pointer after four misses by the Bruins. Leger-Walker got fouled and made her first free throw but followed it with a miss; Jaquez hunted the offensive board that found its way back to Leger-Walker for three.
Rice crossed her defender over to get an open free throw line jumper, closing the both first half quarters with UCLA's final make. The Bruins held an 18-point lead going into the break.
Dugalić got downhill and faked her defender for a step-through layup. Kneepkens drove and skipped a pass to Rice, who knocked down a corner three. The point guard from Bethesda, Md., got to her midrange spot for another shot, bringing her into double digits early in the third.
Freshman Lena Bilić got on the board, shooting out in transition and receiving a Kneepkens pass in stride to the rim. The Duluth, Minn., native finished the night with six assists.
Rice connected on another middy to get UCLA's lead back to 21 before Duke connected on a triple. Kneepkens answered with a three of her own on UCLA's next trip down. Dugalić got two more free throws to fall to bring her total to 10. The Bruins held the ball for the last possession; Leger-Walker got fouled on her way to the rim with 2.5 seconds on the clock and swished both her attempts at the charity stripe.
UCLA led 65-42 heading into the final frame.
Leger-Walker opened the fourth with a triple, her fourth of the evening. She hit her fifth of the night out of the media timeout, finishing 5-for-9 from long range. Jaquez hit a triple from the top of the key and attacked the basket off an Amanda Muse screen to keep the pressure on the Blue Devils. After a pair of Rice free throws, Jaquez continued to keep her foot on the gas. The senior wing scored a layup off a second-chance out of bounds play before hitting a three; Jaquez had 10 of her 23 points in the fourth.
UP NEXT: No. 14/11 Tennessee (Nov. 30)
The Bruins return home to face No. 14-ranked Tennessee on Sunday, Nov. 30, in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. PT on FS1.
Team Stats
DU
UCLA
FG%
.338
.525
3FG%
.273
.591
FT%
.600
.875
RB
33
43
TO
11
12
STL
5
6
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
20
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
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