Sunday, February 23
Iowa City, Iowa
11 a.m.
UCLA
at
Iowa
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
No. 3 Women’s Basketball Prepares for Road Battle at Iowa
February 22, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – No. 3 UCLA (25-1, 13-1 B1G) takes on the University of Iowa (18-8, 8-7 B1G) Sunday in the first game of its final regular season road trip.
The Bruins and Hawkeyes are set to tip off at 11 a.m. PT inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The game will be broadcast to Peacock Sunday.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Tip-off Time: 11 a.m. PT
TV: Peacock
TV Talent: Kim Adams, Zora Stephenson
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio (uclabruins.com/watch)
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus
MATCHUP HISTORY: vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
• Sunday's conference competition will be just the third meeting between the teams in program history. It will be the first game between the programs not played on Nov. 24.
• The Bruins are 1-1 against Iowa; UCLA took the last match 78-65 on Nov. 24, 2016, at the Cancun Challenge. The Hawkeyes won the first meeting 81-52 in Iowa City on Nov. 24, 1990.
LAST TIME OUT: W, 70-55 vs. No. 25 Illinois (Thursday, Feb. 20)
• Junior Lauren Betts returned to action and led all scorers with 22 PTS in the top-25 win. Betts had six blocks in the victory, setting UCLA's single-season blocks record (67). The Bruins had a season-high 10 blocks against Illinois.
• Junior Kiki Rice was a closer for the Bruins, scoring 10 of her 16 points in the final frame (3-3 FG, 1 3FGM, 3-3 FT).
• Angela Dugalić joined Rice and Betts in double figures with 10 PTS. Her 8 REB helped her get past 500-career rebounds.
WHAT'S BRUIN
• UCLA claims three of the top 25 rebounding spots in the new conference: L. Betts (3rd - 9.7 RPG), J. Barker (21st - 6.5 RPG), A. Dugalić (23rd - 6.3). The team ranks 4th in the NCAA in rebounds per game (44.3 RPG) and 1st in rebounding margin (+14.2) while leading the conference in all rebounding statistical categories.
• The Bruins have four players with 100+ rebounds on the season, all of whom are averaging 5+ RPG: Betts (224 REB), Barker (170 REB), Dugalić (151 REB) and Jaquez (5.0 RPG, 124 REB).
• The Bruins are among the top five in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (2nd - 1.35), blocks (2nd - 5.5 BPG), scoring offense (5th - 79.2 PPG) and scoring margin (2nd - +23.3).
• The Bruins have led wire-to-wire in 14 of the 25 wins and have claimed 8 ranked victories this season.
• UCLA had 22-consecutive wins by a double-digit margin, setting the longest streak in program history. The previous record was 15 in the 1977-78 season. UCLA's previous-best win streak also came in the 1977-78 campaign (21 games).
I'LL HAVE THE NO. 1, PLEASE
• UCLA claimed the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll after defeating then-No. 1 South Carolina on Nov. 24. The Bruins sat atop the AP poll for 12 weeks, setting the record for the longest streak at No. 1 for a Big Ten WBB program in conference history after nine weeks at the top spot.
• As a team, the Bruins rank No. 1 in the Big Ten in eight statistical categories: assists per game (20.7 APG), field goal percentage (.485 FG%), field goal percentage defense (.337 DFG%), rebound margin (+14.7), defensive rebounds (30.1 DRPG), offensive rebounds (14.4 ORPG), rebounds per game (44.5 RPG), and scoring defense (55.9 OPPG). UCLA has only been outrebounded once this season season (Dec. 8 at Washington, 32-30).
• The Bruins rank 4th in the nation in defensive field goal percentage - holding opponents to .337 FG% on the year - and first in rebounding margin. All but two wins have been by 10+ points this year.
• Betts leads the Big Ten in blocks (61, 2.8 BPG), and Rice has the second-best A/TO ratio in the league (2.44 A/TO).
CENTER COURT
• Lauren Betts is currently 2nd in the Big Ten in scoring (19.7 PPG); rival JuJu Watkins from USC sits atop the leaderboard with 24.3 PPG. The center is shooting .613 from the field (8th - NCAA, 2nd - B1G).
• The Bruin big is also a centerpiece to the UCLA defense and has 38 blocks over the last eight games; Betts set the UCLA single-game blocks record with 9 against No. 25 Baylor on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Coretta Scott King Classic. She has 67 blocks through 23 appearances; Betts finished 2023-24 with 59 blocks in 29 games, which ranked third all-time for a Bruin in one season. She surpassed Monique Billings for the single-season program record (previous: 66 blocks in 2016-17, 34 GP).
• Betts has 13 double-doubles on the season; five of her last eight have been with 20+ points. The center has scored 20+ points in six of UCLA's last 10 wins in which she appeared.
• The center averages 29.8 minutes per game, which ranks 30th in the Big Ten. She ranks 6th in total points (452), 5th in rebounds (224), 1st in blocks (67) and 3rd in field goals made (192) in the conference.
• Betts surpassed 1,000 career points with her scoring outburst at No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 26. The center also had her highest scoring output for a half, racking up 24 points in the first 20 minutes against the Terps.
• The center showed offensive versatility by setting a new career-high in assists (11) vs. Minnesota, the most by a player 6-foot-7 or taller since 2002-03, according to Stathead's game log archive (previous: 9, Brittney Griner - 3/9/2013).
• Betts captured her 25th-career double-double against No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 5 (19 PTS, 14 REB).
PLUG IN THE RICE COOKER
• Junior Kiki Rice has improved her shooting by 9 percentage points since the end of last season (2023-24: .449 FG%, current: .540 FG%). Rice is also shooting at an improved clip from long distance, knocking down 18-of-49 attempts so far (.367 3FG%). The PG is UCLA's second-leading scorer (13.0 PPG), and would rank 4th in Big Ten in FG% (min. 5 FGM/G, Rice: 4.7 FGM/G). Rice has a pair of double-doubles this year (16 PTS, 10 AST vs. No. 24 Michigan; 10 PTS, 10 AST at Rutgers) and has also surpassed 100 assists for the third-consecutive season.
• Rice had 10 assists and only one turnover against Rutgers on Jan. 23. Her 2.44 A/TO ratio has her second in the new league and ranks 25th in the NCAA. She's led the Bruins in assists in 11 of her 23 appearances this season.
• The PG has improved her three-point shooting by a significant margin; she has surpassed her freshman totals from long distance and jumped 15 percentage points since her Bruin debut (current: .367 3FG%; 2022-23: .217 3FG%).
ALL GAS GABS
• Junior Gabriela Jaquez makes one mistake per game, that's it. She has 12 turnovers over the last 14 games, and only 25 turnovers in 26 games played. Jaquez has had multiple turnovers in just five games this season.
• Jaquez has also improved her efficiency on the offensive end; the junior is shooting .545 from the field (102-187 FG). The forward from Camarillo, Calif., is knocking down 31.6 percent of her shots from distance (18-57 3FG).
• The junior guard had a strong fourth quarter (11 PTS, 5-6 FG) to help close out the win against No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 5.
THREE-POINT THREATS
• Juniors Londynn Jones and Timea Gardiner and grad student Angela Dugalić have helped the Bruins spread the floor when opposing teams send double and triple teams at Betts in the post.
• Jones, who set the UCLA single-season 3-point makes record in 2023-24 (87 3FGM), leads the Bruins with 51 makes from long range through 26 games. The junior has played 97-consecutive games in her career; she hasn't missed a contest yet. Jones is also shooting 44.3 percent from distance during Big Ten play (31-70 3FG in 14 GP).
• Gardiner started the year with a scorching performance in Paris, shooting 5-of-7 against then-No. 17 Louisville. She recorded a 7-for-12 shooting performance against Arkansas to set a new career-high in points (23) and 3FGM (7). The junior transfer is shooting .365 from distance (42-115 3FG).
• Dugalić is shooting .356 from distance (21-59 3FG), providing a long-range threat as a stretch four.
The Bruins and Hawkeyes are set to tip off at 11 a.m. PT inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The game will be broadcast to Peacock Sunday.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Tip-off Time: 11 a.m. PT
TV: Peacock
TV Talent: Kim Adams, Zora Stephenson
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio (uclabruins.com/watch)
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus
MATCHUP HISTORY: vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
• Sunday's conference competition will be just the third meeting between the teams in program history. It will be the first game between the programs not played on Nov. 24.
• The Bruins are 1-1 against Iowa; UCLA took the last match 78-65 on Nov. 24, 2016, at the Cancun Challenge. The Hawkeyes won the first meeting 81-52 in Iowa City on Nov. 24, 1990.
LAST TIME OUT: W, 70-55 vs. No. 25 Illinois (Thursday, Feb. 20)
• Junior Lauren Betts returned to action and led all scorers with 22 PTS in the top-25 win. Betts had six blocks in the victory, setting UCLA's single-season blocks record (67). The Bruins had a season-high 10 blocks against Illinois.
• Junior Kiki Rice was a closer for the Bruins, scoring 10 of her 16 points in the final frame (3-3 FG, 1 3FGM, 3-3 FT).
• Angela Dugalić joined Rice and Betts in double figures with 10 PTS. Her 8 REB helped her get past 500-career rebounds.
WHAT'S BRUIN
• UCLA claims three of the top 25 rebounding spots in the new conference: L. Betts (3rd - 9.7 RPG), J. Barker (21st - 6.5 RPG), A. Dugalić (23rd - 6.3). The team ranks 4th in the NCAA in rebounds per game (44.3 RPG) and 1st in rebounding margin (+14.2) while leading the conference in all rebounding statistical categories.
• The Bruins have four players with 100+ rebounds on the season, all of whom are averaging 5+ RPG: Betts (224 REB), Barker (170 REB), Dugalić (151 REB) and Jaquez (5.0 RPG, 124 REB).
• The Bruins are among the top five in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (2nd - 1.35), blocks (2nd - 5.5 BPG), scoring offense (5th - 79.2 PPG) and scoring margin (2nd - +23.3).
• The Bruins have led wire-to-wire in 14 of the 25 wins and have claimed 8 ranked victories this season.
• UCLA had 22-consecutive wins by a double-digit margin, setting the longest streak in program history. The previous record was 15 in the 1977-78 season. UCLA's previous-best win streak also came in the 1977-78 campaign (21 games).
I'LL HAVE THE NO. 1, PLEASE
• UCLA claimed the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll after defeating then-No. 1 South Carolina on Nov. 24. The Bruins sat atop the AP poll for 12 weeks, setting the record for the longest streak at No. 1 for a Big Ten WBB program in conference history after nine weeks at the top spot.
• As a team, the Bruins rank No. 1 in the Big Ten in eight statistical categories: assists per game (20.7 APG), field goal percentage (.485 FG%), field goal percentage defense (.337 DFG%), rebound margin (+14.7), defensive rebounds (30.1 DRPG), offensive rebounds (14.4 ORPG), rebounds per game (44.5 RPG), and scoring defense (55.9 OPPG). UCLA has only been outrebounded once this season season (Dec. 8 at Washington, 32-30).
• The Bruins rank 4th in the nation in defensive field goal percentage - holding opponents to .337 FG% on the year - and first in rebounding margin. All but two wins have been by 10+ points this year.
• Betts leads the Big Ten in blocks (61, 2.8 BPG), and Rice has the second-best A/TO ratio in the league (2.44 A/TO).
CENTER COURT
• Lauren Betts is currently 2nd in the Big Ten in scoring (19.7 PPG); rival JuJu Watkins from USC sits atop the leaderboard with 24.3 PPG. The center is shooting .613 from the field (8th - NCAA, 2nd - B1G).
• The Bruin big is also a centerpiece to the UCLA defense and has 38 blocks over the last eight games; Betts set the UCLA single-game blocks record with 9 against No. 25 Baylor on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Coretta Scott King Classic. She has 67 blocks through 23 appearances; Betts finished 2023-24 with 59 blocks in 29 games, which ranked third all-time for a Bruin in one season. She surpassed Monique Billings for the single-season program record (previous: 66 blocks in 2016-17, 34 GP).
• Betts has 13 double-doubles on the season; five of her last eight have been with 20+ points. The center has scored 20+ points in six of UCLA's last 10 wins in which she appeared.
• The center averages 29.8 minutes per game, which ranks 30th in the Big Ten. She ranks 6th in total points (452), 5th in rebounds (224), 1st in blocks (67) and 3rd in field goals made (192) in the conference.
• Betts surpassed 1,000 career points with her scoring outburst at No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 26. The center also had her highest scoring output for a half, racking up 24 points in the first 20 minutes against the Terps.
• The center showed offensive versatility by setting a new career-high in assists (11) vs. Minnesota, the most by a player 6-foot-7 or taller since 2002-03, according to Stathead's game log archive (previous: 9, Brittney Griner - 3/9/2013).
• Betts captured her 25th-career double-double against No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 5 (19 PTS, 14 REB).
PLUG IN THE RICE COOKER
• Junior Kiki Rice has improved her shooting by 9 percentage points since the end of last season (2023-24: .449 FG%, current: .540 FG%). Rice is also shooting at an improved clip from long distance, knocking down 18-of-49 attempts so far (.367 3FG%). The PG is UCLA's second-leading scorer (13.0 PPG), and would rank 4th in Big Ten in FG% (min. 5 FGM/G, Rice: 4.7 FGM/G). Rice has a pair of double-doubles this year (16 PTS, 10 AST vs. No. 24 Michigan; 10 PTS, 10 AST at Rutgers) and has also surpassed 100 assists for the third-consecutive season.
• Rice had 10 assists and only one turnover against Rutgers on Jan. 23. Her 2.44 A/TO ratio has her second in the new league and ranks 25th in the NCAA. She's led the Bruins in assists in 11 of her 23 appearances this season.
• The PG has improved her three-point shooting by a significant margin; she has surpassed her freshman totals from long distance and jumped 15 percentage points since her Bruin debut (current: .367 3FG%; 2022-23: .217 3FG%).
ALL GAS GABS
• Junior Gabriela Jaquez makes one mistake per game, that's it. She has 12 turnovers over the last 14 games, and only 25 turnovers in 26 games played. Jaquez has had multiple turnovers in just five games this season.
• Jaquez has also improved her efficiency on the offensive end; the junior is shooting .545 from the field (102-187 FG). The forward from Camarillo, Calif., is knocking down 31.6 percent of her shots from distance (18-57 3FG).
• The junior guard had a strong fourth quarter (11 PTS, 5-6 FG) to help close out the win against No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 5.
THREE-POINT THREATS
• Juniors Londynn Jones and Timea Gardiner and grad student Angela Dugalić have helped the Bruins spread the floor when opposing teams send double and triple teams at Betts in the post.
• Jones, who set the UCLA single-season 3-point makes record in 2023-24 (87 3FGM), leads the Bruins with 51 makes from long range through 26 games. The junior has played 97-consecutive games in her career; she hasn't missed a contest yet. Jones is also shooting 44.3 percent from distance during Big Ten play (31-70 3FG in 14 GP).
• Gardiner started the year with a scorching performance in Paris, shooting 5-of-7 against then-No. 17 Louisville. She recorded a 7-for-12 shooting performance against Arkansas to set a new career-high in points (23) and 3FGM (7). The junior transfer is shooting .365 from distance (42-115 3FG).
• Dugalić is shooting .356 from distance (21-59 3FG), providing a long-range threat as a stretch four.
Players Mentioned
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