Saturday, March 1
Los Angeles, Calif.
6 p.m.
UCLA
vs
USC
Photo by: UCLA Athletics
No. 2 Bruins Prepare for Regular Season Finale at Home Saturday
February 28, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – No. 2 UCLA Women's Basketball (27-1, 16-1 B1G) seeks its first outright regular season conference championship on Saturday.
The Bruins host No. 4 USC (25-2, 16-1 B1G) at 6 p.m. PT inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom on Saturday, March 1, for the second rivalry meeting of the year in a winner-take-all matchup in the new conference.
The game is set to tip at 6 p.m. PT; the championship match will be broadcast to FOX.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Tip-off Time: 6 p.m. PT
TV: FOX
TV Talent: Jason Benetti, Sarah Kustok, Allison Williams
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus
BLUE OUT
Saturday's game is a "Blue Out" – fans are encouraged to wear blue in support of the Bruins. The first 3,500 will receive an exclusive blue t-shirt upon entry.
ADDITIONAL TICKET INFORMATION
Doors open 90 minutes prior to tip off; Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom will begin to welcome guests at 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday.
Please note, due to the sellout Olympic Sport Cards, Wooden Athletic Fund cards, and Bruin Varsity Club cards will not be valid for entry. An allotment of tickets is being held for UCLA students.
Fans still seeking ticket options for this game are encouraged to visit SeatGeek, the official secondary marketplace of UCLA Athletics.
LAST TIME OUT: W, 91-61 at Wisconsin (Thursday, Feb. 26)
• The Bruins blew out the Badgers thanks to a pair of double-doubles by juniors Lauren Betts (26 PTS, 10 REB) and Timea Gardiner (14 PTS, 10 REB, 4-6 3FG). The result marked Gardiner's first double-double as a Bruin.
• Junior Londynn Jones was the third Bruin in double figures, finishing with 13 points (5-10 FG, 3-8 3FG).
WHAT'S BRUIN
• The Bruins have an opportunity to clinch their first-ever regular season conference championship Saturday. UCLA's 1998-99 Pac-10 regular season title was shared between UCLA and the Oregon Ducks, which both went 15-3 in conference play.
• UCLA claims three of the top 25 rebounding spots in the new conference: L. Betts (3rd - 9.8 RPG), J. Barker (T-23rd - 6.3 RPG), A. Dugalić (25th - 6.5). The team ranks 4th in the NCAA in rebounds per game (44.0 RPG) and 1st in rebounding margin (+13.8) 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 (246 REB), Barker (171 REB), Dugalić (160 REB) and Jaquez (5.2 RPG, 141 REB).
• The Bruins are among the top five in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (2nd - 1.34), blocks (2nd - 5.4 BPG), scoring offense (5th - 78.7 PPG) and scoring margin (2nd - +22.6).
• The Bruins have led wire-to-wire in 14 of the 26 wins and have claimed 8 ranked victories this season. All but three wins have been by 10+ points this year (vs. Louisville, Michigan State, at Iowa).
• 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 (20.5 APG), field goal percentage (.482 FG%), field goal percentage defense (.339 DFG%), rebound margin (+14.0), defensive rebounds (29.9 DRPG), offensive rebounds (14.3 ORPG), rebounds per game (44.2 RPG), and scoring defense (56.2 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 .339 FG% on the year - and first in rebounding margin.
• Betts leads the Big Ten in blocks (70, 2.9 BPG), and Rice has the second-best A/TO ratio in the league (2.30 A/TO).
CENTER COURT
• Lauren Betts is currently 2nd in the Big Ten in scoring (19.8 PPG); rival JuJu Watkins from USC sits atop the leaderboard with 24.2 PPG. The center is shooting .618 from the field (7th - NCAA, 2nd - B1G).
• The Bruin big is also a centerpiece to the UCLA defense and has 41 blocks over the last nine 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 70 blocks through 24 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 when she had six blocks against No. 25 Illinois and brought her then-season total to 67 (previous: 66 blocks in 2016-17, 34 GP).
• Betts has 15 double-doubles on the season; seven of her last 10 have been with 20+ points. The center has scored 20+ points in eight of UCLA's last 13 wins in which she appeared.
• The center averages 29.7 minutes per game, which ranks 31st in the Big Ten. She ranks 3rd in total points (500), 4th in rebounds (246), 1st in blocks (71) and 1st in field goals made (212) 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).
• The junior has been named Big Ten Player of the Week three times this season: Nov. 18, Jan. 27 and Feb. 24.
PLUG IN THE RICE COOKER
• Junior Kiki Rice has improved her shooting by 7 percentage points since the end of last season (2023-24: .449 FG%, current: .521 FG%). Rice is also shooting at an improved clip from long distance, knocking down 21-of-58 attempts so far (.362 3FG%). The PG is UCLA's second-leading scorer (12.8 PPG), and would rank 5th 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 2.27 A/TO ratio has her second in the new league and ranks 34th in the NCAA. She's led the Bruins in assists in 11 of her 25 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 14.5 percentage points since her Bruin debut (current: .362 3FG%; 2022-23: .217 3FG%).
ALL GAS GABS
• Junior Gabriela Jaquez makes one mistake per game, that's it. She has 13 turnovers over the last 16 games, and only 26 turnovers in 28 games played. Jaquez has had multiple turnovers in just seven games this season.
• Jaquez has also improved her efficiency on the offensive end; the junior is shooting .535 from the field (108-202 FG). The forward from Camarillo, Calif., is knocking down 30.2 percent of her shots from distance (19-63 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 52 makes from long range through 27 games. The junior has played 98-consecutive games in her career; she hasn't missed a contest yet. Jones is also shooting 42.1 percent from distance during Big Ten play (32-76 3FG in 15 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 a team-leading .362 from distance (42-116 3FG).
• Dugalić is connecting on a .349 clip from downtown (22-63 3FG), providing a long-range threat as a stretch four.
THEY'RE FREE!
• Kiki Rice leads the Bruins in free throw percentage (.860 FT%, 74-86 FT), and is joined by Timea Gardiner (.857 FT%), Gabriela Jaquez (.833 FT%) and Londynn Jones (.800 FT%) in the eighties. Angela Dugalić (.781) and Elina Aarnisalo (.773) are in the high seventies this season.
• Rice has shot 87.9 percent from the free throw line (58-66) in conference play.
The Bruins host No. 4 USC (25-2, 16-1 B1G) at 6 p.m. PT inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom on Saturday, March 1, for the second rivalry meeting of the year in a winner-take-all matchup in the new conference.
The game is set to tip at 6 p.m. PT; the championship match will be broadcast to FOX.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Tip-off Time: 6 p.m. PT
TV: FOX
TV Talent: Jason Benetti, Sarah Kustok, Allison Williams
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus
BLUE OUT
Saturday's game is a "Blue Out" – fans are encouraged to wear blue in support of the Bruins. The first 3,500 will receive an exclusive blue t-shirt upon entry.
You already know. Wear BLUE tomorrow, and the first 3??5??0??0?? fans in the building will receive this free Blue Out t-shirt! ??#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/AodVB2gEBs
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 28, 2025
ADDITIONAL TICKET INFORMATION
Doors open 90 minutes prior to tip off; Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom will begin to welcome guests at 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday.
Please note, due to the sellout Olympic Sport Cards, Wooden Athletic Fund cards, and Bruin Varsity Club cards will not be valid for entry. An allotment of tickets is being held for UCLA students.
Fans still seeking ticket options for this game are encouraged to visit SeatGeek, the official secondary marketplace of UCLA Athletics.
LAST TIME OUT: W, 91-61 at Wisconsin (Thursday, Feb. 26)
• The Bruins blew out the Badgers thanks to a pair of double-doubles by juniors Lauren Betts (26 PTS, 10 REB) and Timea Gardiner (14 PTS, 10 REB, 4-6 3FG). The result marked Gardiner's first double-double as a Bruin.
• Junior Londynn Jones was the third Bruin in double figures, finishing with 13 points (5-10 FG, 3-8 3FG).
WHAT'S BRUIN
• The Bruins have an opportunity to clinch their first-ever regular season conference championship Saturday. UCLA's 1998-99 Pac-10 regular season title was shared between UCLA and the Oregon Ducks, which both went 15-3 in conference play.
• UCLA claims three of the top 25 rebounding spots in the new conference: L. Betts (3rd - 9.8 RPG), J. Barker (T-23rd - 6.3 RPG), A. Dugalić (25th - 6.5). The team ranks 4th in the NCAA in rebounds per game (44.0 RPG) and 1st in rebounding margin (+13.8) 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 (246 REB), Barker (171 REB), Dugalić (160 REB) and Jaquez (5.2 RPG, 141 REB).
• The Bruins are among the top five in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (2nd - 1.34), blocks (2nd - 5.4 BPG), scoring offense (5th - 78.7 PPG) and scoring margin (2nd - +22.6).
• The Bruins have led wire-to-wire in 14 of the 26 wins and have claimed 8 ranked victories this season. All but three wins have been by 10+ points this year (vs. Louisville, Michigan State, at Iowa).
• 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 (20.5 APG), field goal percentage (.482 FG%), field goal percentage defense (.339 DFG%), rebound margin (+14.0), defensive rebounds (29.9 DRPG), offensive rebounds (14.3 ORPG), rebounds per game (44.2 RPG), and scoring defense (56.2 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 .339 FG% on the year - and first in rebounding margin.
• Betts leads the Big Ten in blocks (70, 2.9 BPG), and Rice has the second-best A/TO ratio in the league (2.30 A/TO).
CENTER COURT
• Lauren Betts is currently 2nd in the Big Ten in scoring (19.8 PPG); rival JuJu Watkins from USC sits atop the leaderboard with 24.2 PPG. The center is shooting .618 from the field (7th - NCAA, 2nd - B1G).
• The Bruin big is also a centerpiece to the UCLA defense and has 41 blocks over the last nine 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 70 blocks through 24 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 when she had six blocks against No. 25 Illinois and brought her then-season total to 67 (previous: 66 blocks in 2016-17, 34 GP).
• Betts has 15 double-doubles on the season; seven of her last 10 have been with 20+ points. The center has scored 20+ points in eight of UCLA's last 13 wins in which she appeared.
• The center averages 29.7 minutes per game, which ranks 31st in the Big Ten. She ranks 3rd in total points (500), 4th in rebounds (246), 1st in blocks (71) and 1st in field goals made (212) 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).
• The junior has been named Big Ten Player of the Week three times this season: Nov. 18, Jan. 27 and Feb. 24.
PLUG IN THE RICE COOKER
• Junior Kiki Rice has improved her shooting by 7 percentage points since the end of last season (2023-24: .449 FG%, current: .521 FG%). Rice is also shooting at an improved clip from long distance, knocking down 21-of-58 attempts so far (.362 3FG%). The PG is UCLA's second-leading scorer (12.8 PPG), and would rank 5th 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 2.27 A/TO ratio has her second in the new league and ranks 34th in the NCAA. She's led the Bruins in assists in 11 of her 25 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 14.5 percentage points since her Bruin debut (current: .362 3FG%; 2022-23: .217 3FG%).
ALL GAS GABS
• Junior Gabriela Jaquez makes one mistake per game, that's it. She has 13 turnovers over the last 16 games, and only 26 turnovers in 28 games played. Jaquez has had multiple turnovers in just seven games this season.
• Jaquez has also improved her efficiency on the offensive end; the junior is shooting .535 from the field (108-202 FG). The forward from Camarillo, Calif., is knocking down 30.2 percent of her shots from distance (19-63 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 52 makes from long range through 27 games. The junior has played 98-consecutive games in her career; she hasn't missed a contest yet. Jones is also shooting 42.1 percent from distance during Big Ten play (32-76 3FG in 15 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 a team-leading .362 from distance (42-116 3FG).
• Dugalić is connecting on a .349 clip from downtown (22-63 3FG), providing a long-range threat as a stretch four.
THEY'RE FREE!
• Kiki Rice leads the Bruins in free throw percentage (.860 FT%, 74-86 FT), and is joined by Timea Gardiner (.857 FT%), Gabriela Jaquez (.833 FT%) and Londynn Jones (.800 FT%) in the eighties. Angela Dugalić (.781) and Elina Aarnisalo (.773) are in the high seventies this season.
• Rice has shot 87.9 percent from the free throw line (58-66) in conference play.
Players Mentioned
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