Deep veteran No. 5 UCLA lineup ready for No. 1 South Carolina

If No. 5 UCLA needed a dress rehearsal for their upcoming battle with No. 1 South Carolina, they couldn’t have asked for a better one than they had against Arkansas this past Sunday.

In routing their opponents, the Bruins outrebounded them 65-27, while dishing 22 assists and committing just 11 turnovers. Lauren Betts, Angela Dugalic and Janiah Barker each had double-doubles, while Timea Gardiner scored a team-high 23 points. None of the nine who took the floor logged more than 27 minutes, highlighting the team’s depth and efficiency.

Unlike their first three games of the season, in which they overcame some slow starts and stutter-steps, the win over the Razorbacks was a complete start-to-finish effort in which the UCLA offense seemed to flow effortlessly. Dugalic, a starter who missed the previous two games in Europe at FIBA qualifiers for Serbia, said the win was a boost for all.

“This gives us a lot of confidence,” she said. “We’ve been building it slowly, and we did it today. Everyone was moving, scoring and rebounding, whether on offense or defense. It was a total team effort – players and coaches included.”

The Bruins were bolstered by the return of junior point guard Kiki Rice, who had been sidelined with a shoulder injury. Though she played just 11 minutes, her presence on the floor got her teammates going, beginning with the pre-game warmup.

“We were thankful to get Kiki back for even a few minutes today, earlier than we thought,” coach Cori Close said. “We had our best warmup of the year – the most focused, the most urgent – because of Kiki’s example. We started hot because of the tone she set in warmups.”

Dugalic agreed.

“Kiki is such a big part of this team, and when she’s on the floor, you know she’s going to do something good,” Dugalic said. “It started with her (demeanor) in warmups, and when I saw that I was like, let’s go.”

UCLA scored 30 points in the first quarter, 32 in the second, and added defense in the last period, holding Arkansas to 14 points as they hit the century mark for the 101-52 win. Betts scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds; Dugalic had 18 points and 15 boards; and Barker added 17 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Elina Aarnisalo dished out 11 assists, and freshman Kendall Dudley scored 7 points, to go along with 9 rebounds.

Close said the Bruins took advantage of the Razorbacks’ triple-teams on Betts, and exploited it to their advantage.

“Timea came out and kept hitting those shots, Kendall was huge, Lauren was a facilitator, and everyone got rebounds,” Close said. “That’s selflessness.”

Close said she was most pleased with the low turnover total, which met one of their goals. Gardiner said she and her teammates enjoyed running in transition more because they were making defensive stops.

“Everyone shared the ball tonight, and it was really fun,” she said.

UCLA’s cohesion so early in the season is even more impressive because 7 of the 13 on the roster are newcomers.

Gardiner, a junior transfer from Oregon State, has started 3 games and averages 14 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Aarnisalo, a freshman from Finland, is averaging 12.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 4 starts. Barker is a junior transfer from Texas A&M who has visibly improved with each game. She averages 11.3 points and 9.8 rebounds.

Another impressive freshman is Kendall Dudley, who rose for 7 points and 9 rebounds against the Razorbacks. Close said she had challenged both Barker and Dudley to step it up, and they answered the call.

“Kendall and Janiah are two people who showed huge growth today, and today was about growth,” Close said.

Gardiner said it was easy for new players to fit in.

“Kudos to the whole team, who have welcomed us with open arms,” she said. “We are truly family here…everyone cares about each other on a deep level. Cori has built a great culture.”

Returners have shown a lot of growth as well. Close has said that junior guard Londynn Jones has taken the biggest steps forward from last year with both her game and her approach.

Betts, a junior, is visibly more confident this season, and is averaging 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Her coach said that her biggest improvement, however, has been in her mindset.

“The thing I’m most happy about with Lauren is her steadiness in the face of adversity,” Close said. “Almost every game we’re having to take her out with blood on her jersey, because she’s just getting scratched and clawed. A year ago that would have been a distraction to her, and stopped her from playing as she got to a frustration level.”

“Now for three straight games she has had to stop and change her jersey, and she just keeps on going. I’m so proud of her maturation process and her mental toughness.”

Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors, who used to coach across from Close for the University of Washington, told reporters that this year’s squad is the best he’s seen under Close’s time in Westwood.

Close said that even more than the talent the Bruins have on the floor, she is excited about the qualities that she sees budding on her roster.

“Habits, mindset, toughness and character – that’s your ceiling,” she said. “We’ve known for a long time that we have a talented roster, but we need to have the consistency of having great habits and great toughness. Grit.”

UCLA will have their hands full with the defending championship Gamecocks coming to town this Sunday, but they will have more rest, as they have no games this week. South Carolina, by contrast, plays tonight.

Close said Rice is expected to play in the game, which she calls “a great opportunity.”

Gardiner said that although the team is excited about a top 10 matchup in front of what will likely be a sold-out arena, they are preparing one step at a time.

“We’re focused on what we can do,” Gardiner said. “They’re a great team, but all we can control is our program. We’re going to go out and execute the scout.”

UCLA-South Carolina tips off at 1 p.m. Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.