No. 3 UCLA takes care of No. 6 Oklahoma

The matchup between No. 3 UCLA and No. 6 Oklahoma lived up to expectations. Both teams entered the contest undefeated, but only the Bruins remained that way, beating the Sooners 73-59.

The game was tight during the first two quarters, but in the third, the Bruins went on an 11-1 run that turned the tide in UCLA’s favor.

UCLA’s top players stepped up in this one. Gianna Kneepkens scored 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting. Lauren Betts just missed a double-double. She had nine points and 10 rebounds. Angela Dugalić was big off the bench with 16 points.

For Oklahoma, Payton Verhulst led the way with 16 points. Raegan Beers battled with Betts all night and did as well as anyone. She ended the game with seven points and 14 rebounds. Aaliyah Chavez struggled, barely cracking double figures with 11 points. The freshman went 4-for-16 from the field.

How UCLA earned the top-10 win

Things started fast and furious.

Betts scored to start the game, and Sahara Williams immediately responded, evening the contest. Midway through the first, everything was tied at 11. Then, UCLA scored five-unanswered points, followed by the Sooners scoring four-straight. The Bruins then went on an 8-0 run to give themselves some breathing room. The quarter ended with a layup by Williams and a 3-pointer by Zya Vann, helping Oklahoma cut the deficit down to just two points after one quarter of play.

During the opening minutes of the second, neither team was able to score. Dugalić finally scored on a free throw for UCLA, and Vann made a layup for Oklahoma, giving us our first field goal of the period. It also gave the Sooners the lead.

The following minutes were some of the most engaging of the night. Betts scored twice, sandwiched between a Chavez 3. Kneepkens went on to score seven of UCLA’s next nine-unanswered points, putting the Bruins up 37-27. Beatrice Culliton scored for Oklahoma to end the run and begin to chip away at the lead. At halftime, UCLA was ahead 41-36.

Kneepkens scored the first points of the third, but the Sooners quickly responded. Williams and Vann made back-to-back layups, and a Verhulst basket got the Sooners within one. This was the end of the back-and-forth affair, though. The Bruins took control from here. Betts scored off a Kneepkens pass. Charlisse Leger-Walker scored from 3, extending their lead to six.

UCLA continued to pile on with Leger-Walker, Betts and Kneepkens all scoring.

Williams finally scored for the Sooners with 2:41 left in the third, but by then, UCLA was ahead by nine and feeling comfortable. Oklahoma only had one more field goal in the third, which was a Verhulst 3-pointer to beat the buzzer. The Bruins were up 59-48 after three quarters of play.

While UCLA was in charge to start the fourth, the lead wasn’t insurmountable for Oklahoma if they began the last quarter hot. Before the scoring started in the frame, however, there was a scary injury to Beers. Her right knee took a nasty bend and she had to exit the game temporarily.

The Sooners were able to put points on the board first, going on a 5-0 run thanks to buckets from Verhulst and Chavez. UCLA responded with a 3-pointer by Angela Dugalić, and then Beers returned, proving that she was not only fine, but a heck of a lot tougher than most players.

Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez kept pouring in points for the Bruins and extended UCLA’s lead up to 14 with just under seven minutes to go. Each team went cold from the field, but after crafty score from Kneepkens with under four minutes to go, it was clear the Bruins were going to win.

Rice then scored to make it four Bruins in double figures, and UCLA head coach Cori Close emptied the bench as the clock ticked under a minute remaining.

The Bruins proved they’re better

UCLA is more prepared for this level of competition than Oklahoma is. While each team had runs, the Sooners’ streaks were only able to cut deficits, while the Bruins were able to extend leads. Then in the third quarter, the Bruins shifted to a gear the Sooners just don’t currently have.

This was also a rough game for the young Chavez. She will undoubtedly be better, but her quiet offensive game hurt Oklahoma on Monday night. Chavez will learn from this and improve in future big games.

For now, UCLA has passed its test, and Oklahoma has some more work to do.