High-scoring performances by Charisma Osborne and Kiki Rice knocked the Bruins out of the conference’s #1 opponent in the campaign.
No. 10 UCLA Women’s Basketball (13-1, 2-0 Pac-12) could not take their foot off the gas Friday night against No. 17 Oregon (10-3, 1-1 Pac-12). 19 turnovers were forced and allowed in the backcourt to work on the other side of the ball. Osborne and Rice – a senior and freshman combination – scored 38 points together, beating the Ducks by a score of 82-74.
Osborne scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, but left the game in the fourth quarter after clashing with Ducks guard Taya Hansen. He left his coat and was supporting her left arm.
Rice started the contest with eight of the Bruins’ first ten points. Scoring 15 points, shooting 6/9 from the field and knocking down 2/3 over the first half arc, the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class made an immediate impact on the game.
One of Rice’s 3-point attempts closed out the second quarter, converting a corner attempt with a swish to give UCLA a 38–32 lead. The 5-foot-11 guard finished the game with 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals, along with his career-high 21 points.
Midway through the third quarter, the Ducks led the Bruins 42-41. But from that moment on, UCLA pulled away from its opponents in the Pacific Northwest.
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With Alumni guard Gina Conti leading the way, Blue and Gold led Oregon 68-51 with a 26-8, 8:09 minute run. Sophomore Bruin scored all 11 points in the second half, and freshman Gabriela Jaquez added all 8 points as well.
Despite trailing 18 points in the fourth quarter, the Ducks fought back in the second half. Oregon got the score within six points with a minute left, but the Bruins iced the game with a forced turnover in the 19th and several free throws to clinch the win.
Since dropping to No. 1 South Carolina on November 29, UCLA has beaten its final six opponents by an average of 17.8 points per game.
UCLA wraps up its road trip with Oregon State University on Sunday when the Beavers host the Bruins at 1 p.m.
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