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Los Angeles – No. 3 UCLA used a second-half surge to run past No. 14 Tennessee, 99-77, Sunday and move to 8-1 on the year.
Gabriela Jaquez lead the way for the Bruins with a season-high 29 points, while Kiki Rice had 20 points and Gianna Kneepkens, 19. Charlisse Leger-Walker dished out 11 assists for a short-handed team that is still versatile and deep.
UCLA got off to a fast start, but slowed in the second quarter, exchanging the lead with the Lady Vols a few times before surging to a 49-39 lead at halftime. UCLA was hot to begin the third quarter, outscoring their opponents 27-17 on 58 percent shooting.
Tennessee put up 9 points to open the final frame, but the Bruins shut them down on 77 percent shooting, while scoring 50 game points in the paint, dishing 25 assists and capitalizing on the visitor’s 20 turnovers.
UCLA advanced to the Final Four last season for the first time in program history, and Lady Vol coach Kim Caldwell said they already look like they will return to the final rounds now. Bruin coach Cori Close disagreed, but she said that is the goal.
“I do think we see ourselves as (becoming) a national championship contender, and we’ve got to go earn that,” Close said.
Seniors Jaquez and Rice, who have spent all four years in Westwood, said they put in a lot of work over the summer to prepare for the season.
“Just knowing that for this group, this is the last time we’ll play together, we wanted to make the most of it,” Rice said. “We worked so hard this offseason, with quality preparation. We know what it takes to make the Final Four, and we want to get back to that spot.”
Janiah Barker lead four from Tennessee in double figures, with 25 points.
Caldwell called her team’s mistakes “cringy,” and lambasted their defense. But she said the group is learning tough lessons earlier this season, in preconference play.
“When you have new players on the floor sometimes you have to put them out there and let them fail for a little bit,” she said. “We will need those players to be ready in February.”
UCLA is hoping two more of their players are ready soon too, as injured senior forward Timea Gardner and freshman forward Sienna Betts have yet to play this year. Close said they are approaching returns to the court soon.
The Bruins open Big 10 play Sunday, as they host unbeaten Oregon.
