Although the Bruins didn’t lead the way, they retained enough control to secure a road win on Sunday.
No. 9 UCLA women’s basketball (17-3, 6-2 Pac-12) swept after Pullman beat Washington State (13-6, 3-5) 73-66. In the last minute of the game, the Bruins led by only 3 points with 30 seconds left, but they hit a late free throw to create enough distance in the final moments.
UCLA went all out, with five Bruins scoring in double digits. Forwards Gabriela Jaquez and Emily Bessoir each had 13 points while hitting multiple 3-pointers, while guards Kiki Rice and Gina Conti each had 12 points and guard Charisma Osborne had 10 points.
UCLA started the first quarter 20-12, though Washington State outscored the Cougars 9-0 in the second. Jaquez regained the advantage with a 3-pointer and Osborne hit a layup before the halftime whistle to give the Bruins a 32-30 lead.
Bethall hit two 3-pointers early in the third quarter, and then Osborne made two of his own to tie it at five.
UCLA held on to the lead heading into the fourth quarter, extending its lead to 11 after Bessol and Conte traded free throws for 3-pointers.
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The Bruins offense went cold, though, missing four consecutive field goals and going scoreless for nearly four minutes. The Cougars made it 8-0, cutting the deficit to three in the process.
Rice stopped the bleeding with a layup, and Washington State scored another layup 13 seconds later. UCLA committed a series of turnovers and didn’t even attempt a field goal in the final two minutes of the game, which opened the door for the home team to win the game.
However, the Bruins defense has kept the Cougars from getting on the scoreboard since then, as Washington State missed its final three shots. UCLA got perfect free throws from Osborne and Rice to walk away with the win.
UCLA returns to action Friday at Colorado State. The game ends at 6 pm and will be televised on Pac-12 Mountain.
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