Los Angeles, CA — Elina Aarnisalo led the way with 15 points, Kiki Rice contributed 14, and No. 1 UCLA stayed undefeated with a dominant 79-53 victory over Minnesota on Sunday.
Londynn Jones chipped in 13 points, while Lauren Betts dished out 11 assists for the Bruins (21-0, 9-0 Big Ten). UCLA took control in the second half, outscoring the Golden Gophers 46-25.
For Minnesota (18-5, 6-5), Amaya Battle put up 21 points, including 17 in the first half. Grace Grocholski added 12 points and eight rebounds.
UCLA has now won 13 consecutive home games dating back to last season.
Takeaways:
Minnesota: Battle kept the Gophers competitive early on, scoring 17 points in the first half, including the team’s first nine. However, she was limited in the second half, and Minnesota struggled to keep up.
UCLA: The Bruins displayed their remarkable depth, with 10 players registering at least one field goal and five scoring nine points or more.
Key Moment:
With Minnesota trailing 31-28 and possession in the closing moments of the first half, Angela Dugalic made a game-changing play. She intercepted a pass, assisted on Jones’ jumper to extend the lead, and blocked a shot on the other end as time expired. Minnesota never threatened again.
Key Stat:
The Bruins have won their last 12 games by 15 points or more.
Up Next:
Minnesota will host Iowa on Thursday, while UCLA will face No. 8 Ohio State at home on Wednesday.
