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UCLA undertook coach’s challenge with another large margin victory over Long Beach State, 106-44

By
Charle' Moore
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Los Angeles, CA – UCLA for the second time this week put on another offensive clinic with Seniors Gabriela Jaquez and Lauren Betts scoring 17 points apiece to lead the No. 4 UCLA against winless Long Beach State, 106-44 on Saturday at Pauley Pavillion to follow up their largest victory margin on Tuesday night against Cal-Poly.

“I just wanted to say as we go into this holiday season and we talk about basketball, in the end it’s putting an orange thing in an orange thing,” UCLA Head Coach Cori Close said. “And the reality is that it allows us to be able to be a part of people’s lives at a meaningful level. And I just want to say that I’m humbled to be a part of that. And I just needed to mention that we’re really lucky to be a part of being a blessing to other people and I’m very thankful to have a team that adopts that kind of vision.”

Senior Guard Kiki Rice continues to follow such vision on and off the court with seven assists to go along 15 points, nine rebounds for the Lady Bruins. Senior Transfer Gianna Kneepkens had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds as one of six Bruins in double figures. Jaquez tied her career high with five 3-pointers with four of them coming in the first quarter.

“I mentioned earlier in the season, I just know what my I want my shot to feel like and yeah, they have confidence in me and my teammates set me up,” Jaquez said. “I mean, it’s really hard to guard all of us on the court, so they create open shots for me.”

JaQuoia Jones-Brown rallied 10 points to lead Long Beach while a couple of her star teammates, Khylee-Jade Pepe and Judit Oliva Fernandez, found themselves in foul trouble. The Beach had 20 turnovers and loss just about every statistical category.

UCLA led 29-11 in the opening period and closed the second with a 20-5 run, increasing the margin to 57-23 at halftime.

“I think that our coaches have been doing a great job of holding the standard and we continue to talk about that, but that’s just coming in every day ready to work,” Jaquez said. “I think that we took it and applied it in the games and making sure we’re maintaining our focus even though we’re up by how many points, but continuing to challenge ourselves…going into this break, we’ll enjoy it and then come back and have some tough matchups ahead, but we’re going to continue to take in the hard coaching because we know that’s what we need.”

The Bruins (11-1) held the Beach (0-10) to eight points in the third while pushing their lead to 78-31, capped by Jaquez’s fifth 3-pointer. UCLA defense continues to remain consistent while outscoring the Beach 28-13. Dual-athlete and crowd favorite Megan Grant recorded another basket in a game for the season.

“The two areas that we’re focusing in terms of growth right now are limiting three-point attempts by our teammates or by our opponents and in defensive rebound percentage,” Coach Close said. “The reality is when we’ve played teams like you know South Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, UConn, Duke that are really strong offensive rebounding teams, those are the ones that when we rebound well and that we defend and get stops. When we don’t rebound well, we have a harder time.”

UCLA freshman and younger sister of senior star center Lauren Betts, Sienna Betts didn’t have a hard time reaching double digits in her second game,scoring a season high 14 points in 15 minutes. After being out for the Bruins first 10 games due to a lower left leg injury in preseason practice, she has adapted quickly and smoothly thus far in her season debut.

“I think I’m like just a player that can like mesh well with other people. Like I feel like I go off of other people’s skills pretty well,” Sienna said. “I mean I’m still only two games in so I got to show some of it but I just hope to continue to be able to you know go farther out but also just maintain my post skills because that’s just as important even more.”

The Betts sisters showed off their chemistry tonight, setting each other up on multiple plays to score. In addition, this game provided another opportunity for the Lady Bruins to clear their bench and display their depth, with every active player tallying points.

“I’m just really grateful to like play the game like basketball, Sienna said. “And you don’t realize how much you appreciate it until it’s gone. So it just makes me super excited to be here with my teammates and be able to play with such amazing women and players. I’m just really really excited to just continue this season with everyone.”

This is UCLA’s third margin of victory over 50 points this season with two of them coming this week. Last season, when these two teams matched up a year ago around the same time this month, UCLA won by 32. This season with Coach Close raising the standard for her team as a result scoring margins have increased against non-conference opponents along with defense intensity.

“It’s not just that I pride myself on our defense. It’s that the last five out of six national champions were the number one defense in the country and we are the number one offense right now, but we are the 14th best defensive team,” Coach Close said. “And we need to continue to raise the level of our defense and, you know, compete with ourselves to get better every day. And that’s got to be the biggest competition that we have is our commitment to the defensive end.”

UCLA will take a basketball break before traveling to play No. 21 Ohio State on Dec. 28 in its second Big Ten game of the season.

Londynn Jones returns to form in time to lead No. 19 USC 86-39 over Cal-Poly

By
Charle' Moore
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Londynn drives to the lane. Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

Los Angeles, CA- Senior Transfer Guard Londynn Jones was known for her three-point shooting and speed prior to transferring from Big Ten crosstown rivalry UCLA and those two attributes came into career high form Thursday night at the Galen Center with a 28-point performance, leading USC to defeat Cal-Poly, 86-39.

“It was nice to get back on the winning side of things in Galen Center, coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “I was proud of our team’s response to obviously a tough one the other night. I thought we had a couple good days of practice and then came out here and did what we needed to do.”

This was Women of Troy’s last home game out of their six game homestand which they achieved a 5-1 record, after rebounding tonight from that disparaging loss against No. 1 UConn this past Saturday.

Jones shot 11 of 16 from the field including 5 of 8 from deep while Freshmen Jazzy Davidson added 17 points and nine rebounds though she appeared to limp off the floor towards the end of the game as the crowd pleaded for her to sit down since the game was out of reach.

“We all know how Londynn can shoot the ball,” coach Gottlieb said. It doesn’t surprise me. It’s more we believe that our shooters, our scorers, everyone’s going to be able to get to higher percentages if the ball’s moving a little more crisply if we get to what we want faster, no matter who it is, and then I thought our defensive intensity created more open looks for us as well.”

Senior Transfer Forward Kara Dunn seemed to rebound as well after struggling against the Huskies with 12 points.

The Mustangs were without two of their top scorers, Vanessa McManus and Charish Thompson as they fell for a second straight time this week, after a 87-point loss to No.4 UCLA.

“We know UCLA is good…I mean we showed a couple clips maybe from that game, but it was really a mixture of what Cal-Poly is trying to do and we felt like this game was a little bit more about us. I don’t think that was too much of a factor,” Coach Gottlieb said.

USC depth appeared to show some promise and potential with role players coming off the bench like YaKiya Milton and Laura Williams, both accomplishing multiple blocks, 4 and 3, respectively. Williams even scored eight points, half of them off put back rebounds.

“I try to capitalize on any opportunity that I’m given,” Milton said. “I try to play with as much energy and intensity as I can, I feel like something that Coach Lindsay has been talking about a lot is rim protecting and I feel like that’s something I’m able to bring and I’m just glad I was able to bring it today.”

Women of Troy out-rebounded Mustangs 44–29 and scored 44 points in the paint plus 39 points off the Cal-Poly’s 27 turnovers.

USC led the entire game and put the game away after halftime with a 26-5 run in third quarter.

“We can play an amazing team any night. So, just having that mentality and just staying true to who we are. you know, it doesn’t really matter who we play as long as we’re going out executing the game plan, the scout, whatever it is that we need to accomplish,” Jones said. “And then just building on that, getting better, communicating with each other. I know, communicating is something we’ve really been focusing on, so I think that that will always help.”

USC heads to the Bay Area for a matchup with coach Gottlieb’s previous school she coached, Cal Bears, in the Bay Area Women’s Classic before they are able to start their holiday break then resume play on December 29th against Nebraska.

Bruins build up to the standard of a NCAA record-breaking blowout,115-28

By
Charle' Moore
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UCLA's Lauren Betts #51 yells with excitement for teammate's made basket. (Photo by Jason Purisima / fi360 News)

Westwood, CA- No. 4 UCLA made history in front of a small, devoted crowd on a Tuesday night at Pauley Pavillon with an 87-point victory over Cal Poly for the largest margin win in NCAA, 115-28.

“We have had a really tough week and a half of practices and really challenging our consistency, our physicality, our ability to defend with pride,” UCLA Lady Bruins Head Coach Cori Close said.

UCLA’s Kiki Rice #1 attacking the basket. (Photo by Jason Purisima / fi360 News)

“So the word for us today was standard or two words the standard that we have to play to our standard and bottom line is we still have work to do.”

The Bruins wasted no time playing up to their standard with a quick 6-0 run from tip-off that swiftly turned into 60-16 by halftime concluded with a 27-0 run.

Each UCLA starter reached double figures led by Senior Guard Kiki Rice’s 23 points. Rice almost racked in a double-double by grabbing eight rebounds and four assists. Senior Center Lauren Betts posted another double-double after returning from USA Olympic training camp in North Carolina, scoring 20 points alongside 10 boards.

UCLA’s Lauren Betts #51 on the block about to score.

“I think since Lauren has been back, I’ve definitely noticed a change in her physicality, how aggressive she’s been…she’s definitely brought back a lot and obviously grateful that she’s able to have that experience,” Rice said about Betts brief time away this past weekend for USA training camp. “It’s awesome that you know she’s been able to kind of translate that back to here and it’s really raised our level as a group…I mean we talked a lot about you know this game that we’re going to be preparing to play at our standard and not to play to our opponent but to really just go out there slay in your own role.”

UCLA Grad transfer Gianna Kneepkens added 19 points and five assists. Senior Guards Gabriela Jaquez and Charlisse Leger-Walker finished with 14 points apiece.

All eleven active players on the Bruins roster recorded their name in history as every player scored while no player played more than 25 minutes.

Betts dominated in the first half with 16 points, scoring eight of UCLA’s first 10 points, including six straight in the first quarter. On the defensive end, it was Kneepkens setting the tone with six steals, tying her career-high.

“I think going to that USA training camp was a really amazing experience and I feel like it was just really cool for me to learn from all the vets and you know I’ve grown up watching a lot of these people and I look up to a lot of them. I think going into it I was really impressed by just the level of like physicality and just how much they talk and especially on the defensive end I just thought it was really amazing,” Lauren Betts said. “So, I think coming back just trying to ring as much intensity as I can and just making sure that I’m raising the level of intensity defensively for my team every single day.”

At one point, there was a couple exchange of baskets between the Bruins and Mustangs, making it somewhat competitive when Leger-Walker hit a triple to answer Cal Poly’s three. Then UCLA forced back-to-back turnovers into a solo tap dance combination for Betts, whom grabbed a steal, dished an assist, and scored in a 30 second sequence span. Cal Poly responded with a two-point basket, but Rice came back with a deep dagger to end the first.

“We’re really appreciative of Cal-Poly.  I think I’ve shared with you all before that we had a heck of a time finding teams to play us this year,” Coach Close said. “Most teams were too scared and I really respect Cal-Poly. They said let’s go, bring it on and I think they were missing their leading scorer today. I think they had a great perspective and they kept playing hard all the way through.”

UCLA’s Charlisse Leger-Walker #5 driving baseline to the goal.(Photo by Jason Purisima / fi360 News)

UCLA continued to carry their momentum in the second and playing all gas no brakes, on both ends of the court.

Dugalić knocked down multiple buckets, Kneepkens got buckets, and both played a part in either an assist or scoring for most of the second quarter points including Kneepkens rallying Bruins last eight points. 

UCLA high scoring 35 points second quarter showed their offensive artillery while their defense was just as effective holding Cal-Poly to a mere three points.

Freshmen Forward Lena Bilić came in the game, immediately blocking a 3-point shot attempt to force a 24-second violation. Redshirt-sophomore Amanda Muse followed with another block that led to another forced Cal Poly turnover. Mustangs went scoreless for the final 7:30 minutes.

Third quarter continued like the Bruins left in the first half, with a 17-1 run, scoring on seven-straight possessions. Rice had eight points during this span, including two shots from behind the arc.

UCLA’s Gianna Kneepkens #8 under the basket, looking for a teammate to pass to. (Photo by Jason Purisima / fi360 News)

Freshman Sienna Betts made her first collegiate points in her season debut at the free throw line. UCLA outscored Cal Poly 31-5 in the quarter. 

“I just felt super jolly.I was just so happy to be on the court with her, Lauren Betts said about first time playing with her sister as teammates in a Bruins game. “She’s just done a lot of work and I know that this process hasn’t been easy, but to just have that moment with her, like this is something that, you know, we’ve kind of grown up just dreaming about and so to be at this level and to be on the court with her is just really amazing and continuing to boost her confidence, I think, is super important.”

UCLA emptied their bench leaving one starter in rotation for the final quarter, to initiate a 12-0 run. Sienna Betts created her first highlight with a stepback midrange shot for her first collegiate field goal.

“Like coach Cory said in the locker room, this is just the first step in her process. I just wanted her to get that one game in and moving forward, I know she’s going to continue to do amazing, ”Lauren Betts said.

Freshman Christina Karamouzi recorded also her first collegiate points, drawing a foul then nailing two free throws. One of the crowd highlights and game energy booster came at the end of this blowout game for softball star Megan Grant sliding in a layup off an inbound pass from Rice.

UCLA finished the quarter shooting 64 percent and 58 percent from the field for the game. Bruins recorded a season high 19 steals including four in the final quarter. UCLA hit 43 percent from deep, 59 points off 31 turnovers and 56 points in the paint for a well-balanced offensive onslaught. UCLA dominated in rebounds, 46-15.

UCLA Women’s basketball excited for Sienna Betts field goal (Photo by Jason Purisima / fi360 News)

“I think they [UCLA] had made the mental decision ahead of time, to make sure they’re not going on holiday break early and it’s not Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer yet, coach Close said. “Let’s  finish getting better as a team. And that’s really really important for us. I think it’s you [FI360news] asked what is the standard, the standard are championship standards, this what you’re going to want to be like in March in April and I think Tasha talked before the team before the game about March is happening now. Do not deceive yourself. You cannot miss opportunities.“

Coming up UCLA next opportunity to host will be Long Beach State at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. PST with a broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Washington opens the Bowl season with a 38-10 victory over Boise State in the LA Bowl

By
Eric Ramos
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Photo by fi360 News

Inglewood, CA- University of Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr threw four touchdowns and the defense finished with five interceptions in a dominating 38-10 win over Boise State in the L.A. Bowl game Saturday at SoFi Stadium.  

After both teams traded field goals in the first quarter, Washington went on a 21-0 run in the second quarter. Williams Jr. threw three touchdowns in the second quarter to give UW a 24-3 lead heading into halftime.

INGLEWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 13: Washington Huskies linebacker Xe’Ree Alexander (10) and Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) after the LA Bowl hosted by Gronk between the Boise State Broncos and the Washington Huskies on December 13, 2025, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 news)

“They treated the game as we asked them to, which is a championship game, a championship opportunity,” UW coach Jeff Fisch said. “As we’re sitting here with nine wins, really proud of our players, and tonight was a great football game.”

UW opened the second quarter with Williams Jr. hitting Denzel Boston for a 78-yard touchdown to give UW a 10-3 lead. UW forced a punt on the ensuing drive and drove down the field with a 7-play, 57-yard drive that was capped with a 6-yard touchdown catch by Desmond Roebeck.

“Once I turned around and I saw there was no safeties and my guy running free, I was just trying to make it as catchable as possible,” Williams said on the pass to Boston. 

INGLEWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 13: Washington Huskies running back Jonah Coleman (1) runs the ball during the LA Bowl hosted by Gronk between the Boise State Broncos and the Washington Huskies on December 13, 2025, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 news)

The third touchdown of the quarter came when Willimas Jr connected with Raiden Vines-Bright for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:17 remaining in the first half. 

The UW offense kept it rolling in the third quarter when Williams Jr threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to tight end Quentin Moore for a 31-3 lead. 

INGLEWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 13: Washington Huskies wide receiver Chris Lawson (8) catches the ball for a gain during the LA Bowl hosted by Gronk between the Boise State Broncos and the Washington Huskies on December 13, 2025, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 news)

Running back Jonah Coleman capped the night with a 6-yard touchdown run. Coleman rushed for 86 yards while Boston finished with six catches for 125 yards. 

Boise State finished with 311 total yards but were held to 51 yards in the first half. The Broncos will move to the PAC-12 next season. 

INGLEWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 13: Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston (12) catches the ball for a touchdown and celebrates during the LA Bowl hosted by Gronk between the Boise State Broncos and the Washington Huskies on December 13, 2025, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 news)

No. 16 USC’s undefeated home streak unraveled by No.1 UConn

By
Charle' Moore
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Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

Los Angeles, CA- No. 16 USC gave an unpremeditated warm West coast welcome to the undefeated No.1 UConn with a sold out crowd of 9,000 that turned into a chilly blowout, 79-51 on Saturday at the Galen Center.

After eight minutes of back n forth action, the Women of Troy seem like they were on the verge of keeping up with the No. 1 Huskies before a Blanca Quinonez substitution led into a full court pressure onslaught to change the short-lived battle into a white flag retreat.

Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News


“I think we had two turnovers through the first half of the first quarter … and then we turned the ball over too much,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “It’s really hard to guard them in transition off of made or missed baskets, but I thought we could do that probably better than anyone that they’ve played. But it’s really hard off of live-ball turnovers.”

USC’s defense allowed UConn to score 15 straight points to close the first quarter initiated by Quinonez one woman defense show forcing turnovers with her length to steal the ball on inbound plays then converting them into six straight points before the Women of Troy figured out just how to advance the ball up the court.

Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News


Unfortunately for USC, UConn unleashed their best play of this season thus far finishing with 44 points in the paint and 26 points off turnovers.

Sophomore Guard Kennedy Smith fought to keep her team encouraged while their two top scorers Senior Guard Kara Dunn and Freshman Guard Jazzy Davidson were froze out most of the game by UConn’s physical, fast play.

“During the game I was telling them in the huddles just work on us at this point,”Smith said once the game seemed out of reach. “If we’re going to lose the game, we’re gonna lose the game, but work on what we need to be better.”

Smith finished with 16 points and had much needed assistance from Senior Guard Londynn Jones off the bench scoring 14 points in 25 minutes. Davidson eventually reached double digits with 10 points despite most of those points being “a day too late” buckets as the game was out of hand. Dunn had an upside with five assists and scoring the first basket for her team from deep to give them an early lead.


“Games like this are where you learn so much. I think staying present and just trying to do whatever it is in that moment, you have to take it play-by-play,” Jones said about co-leading this team with fellow teammates. “I think that was just kind of the mentality that I was just trying to get everybody on and you can’t do anything about the past. So, moving forward, we’re just trying to get better.”

USC continues struggling on offense with their inconsistent scoring and inability to finish nifty drives inside the paint, especially contested shots. However, the Women of Troy on the defensive end, were able to make the Huskies less efficient from deep range, hitting only 7 out of 19 as well as kept UConn’s dominant forward Sarah Strong under her usual outstanding performance as she struggled quietly in the first half.

USC was denied double digits both quarters in the first half culminating with a big block on Davidson entering into halftime, 39-17. The Women of Troy briefly held early leads but were unable to sustain an offensive rhythm, despite limiting the Huskies to their fewest points in a half this season.

By the third quarter, Women of Troy came out to a different tune, scoring 22 points but unable to stop the flow of UConn or the bleeding from Huskies’ hoedown on their home court.

“I never allow myself to go into a game thinking it’s going to be a 30-point game,” Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma said. “I knew it would be a good game. I thought it would be physical, I thought it would be fast-paced, and we wanted to make it fast-paced. When we could speed the game up and play really quickly, it was to our benefit. Defensively, our guys were able to do that today.”

UConn star guard Azzi Fudd not only clamped up Davidson for most of the game, she led her team with a game high 17 points including 3 out of 6 from behind the arc. Freshmen Quinonez poured in 12 points, four rebounds, four steals and a couple of assists that overall shifted UConn’s play into a different gear as they never looked back after she checked in the game.

Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News


“When you have someone like her coming off the bench and can just bring that spark, it’s like the first group is playing well, and then she comes in, and it’s like a whole other level,” Fudd said about Quinonez.

The Women of Troy finished the game shooting 30 percent, hitting only 16 field goals for a season-low, 51 points. USC did show progress from the charity stripe, making 15 from 20.

USC (7-3) has one more home game to host Cal-Poly at the Galen Center on Thursday, December 18 completing their six game homestead and hopefully rebounding from such a downcast defeat.

UConn (10-0) remains undefeated and will return to Northeast to face Marquette on Wednesday.

Spurs upset the Lakers

By
Christopher Floch
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Photo by Jevone Moore

LOS ANGELES, CA- On Wednesday night, the San Antonio Spurs battled the L.A. Lakers for a spot in the Semifinals of the NBA Cup. From the onset it was the Spurs who regained supreme, soundly defeating the Lakers 132-119 at Crypto.com Arena.

San Antonio now travels to Las Vegas to face the 24-1 defending NBA Champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Semifinals. While the Lakers need to improve their defense desperately.

Stephon Castle scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half, and De’Aaron Fox added 20 points in the San Antonio Spurs’ victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Victor Wembanyama missed his 12th straight game with a calf injury, but he traveled with the Spurs. Many Laker fans fellt the loss of Wemby meant smooth sailing to Sin City.

For those fans still confused about the NBA Cup: here is a brief explanation.

An annual in-season tournament for all 30 NBA teams, featuring a group stage followed by single-elimination knockout rounds, culminating in a championship game in Las Vegas, with special uniforms, courts, and significant prize money ($500k per player for winners) to create early-season stakes, with most games counting towards the regular season and playoff seeding.

Going into the matchup, the Lakers confidence was sky high with a 4-0 record in the group stage. In addition, the Purple and Gold won the inaugural Cup in 2023.

Photo by Jevone Moore

 Stephon Castle scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half, and De’Aaron Fox added 20 points in the win. Keldon Johnson had 17 points and eight rebounds as the Spurs maintained a healthy double-digit lead for most of the final three quarters to claim the last Cup semifinal spot in Las Vegas.

For the Lakers, Luka Doncic scored 35 points and LeBron James had 19 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, who lost for only the third time in 12 games. Los Angeles trimmed its deficit to eight points late in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get closer.

Marcus Smart scored a season-high 26 points with eight 3-pointers for the Lakers, and Austin Reaves had 15 points.

Unfortunately, the Lakers defense has been awful all season. Last night, it was exposed for the NBA world to see.

San Antonio made a 17-2 run and jumped to an 18-point lead in the second quarter, with Castle and Harrison Barnes exploiting Los Angeles’ season-long struggles in perimeter shooting defense.

Our Lakers are mired in the bottom five in the league in opponents’ 3-point percentage (38.2%), by hitting 17-of-38 from the outside (44.7%) and leading by as many as 24 points in the elimination game for the in-season tournament.

When the Spurs weren’t launching from beyond the arc, their guards were penetrating into the paint, compromising L.A.’s interior defense so much the Lakers often had no choice but to foul. Sm

San Antonio went 29-for-36 from the foul line compared with the Lakers’ 17-for-23.

Despite L.A.’s 17-7 start to the season, the loss mirrored many of the Lakers’ other lopsided defeats in the first quarter of the regular-season schedule.

The Lakers travel to Arizona to face the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Inglewood Wins Big, Crowe Becomes California’s Top Prep Basketball Leading Scorer

By
Tony Jones
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Crowe (5) (Photo by Jevone Moore)

INGLEWOOD, CA- The stars were definitely out on a cool, clear Tuesday night at Morningside High/Inglewood High School United.

   The brightest star of the evening was Inglewood’s Jason Crowe Jr., for the Ocean League opener against visiting Beverly Hills. 

  Down at center court, there was a festive atmosphere. The DJ spun various rhythm and blues, hip hop and dance music. Green confetti was launched in the air and fluttered around like a New Year’s party. Friends, relatives and basketball followers celebrated as Crowe achieved a huge milestone in California high school basketball. 

(Photo by Jevone Moore)

  They were also happy about Inglewood’s 112-75 win over Beverly Hills. 

  L.A. City Section Hall of Famer Dwayne Polee was among many former players, coaches, officials and fans in attendance to watch Inglewood display a total team effort as Crowe became the state’s all-time leading scorer. 

  Crowe finished with 51 points, but it wasn’t easy. In between getting knocked around by a physical Beverly Hills defense, he had to earn every point, from the court to the free throw line. 

Crowe Dunks (Photo by Jevone Moore)

  While Inglewood (7-1) was taking care of business on the court, there was prep sports media legend Eric Sondheimer writing his award winning column from his perch up high above the Western sideline in the stands. 

  Standout L.A. area journalists Tarek Fattal, Ronnie Flores, photographer Nick Koza, and many other videographers were putting their best work together, representing the prep media in yet another big Southern California basketball event.

  Game announcer Corey “Swaggy C” Kwok used his powerful voice in another commanding performance that punctuated the sparkling night.

  Legal magnate Jacob Emrani and basketball camp guru Dinos Trigonis soaked in the pure basketball atmosphere that actually felt like a playoff game.

  Meanwhile, there was an important league game to win. Cayim White and David Conerly helped Inglewood’s defense use an array of steals, half and full court pressure traps to build a lead that began at 24-7 after the first quarter. 

(Photo by Jevone Moore)

  Despite trailing 57-32 at the half, Beverly Hills (6-2) put up a competitive showing of its own at times, playing aggressive scrappy defense, its wings filling lanes wider than the Harbor Freeway to create several two-on-one breaks after steals.

  But at the end of the night, it was just another magical chapter in the illustrious Inglewood basketball legacy. 

After breaking the record (Photo by Jevone Moore)

  With his performance, Crowe joined Byron Scott, Jay Humphries, Ralph Jackson, Reggie Theus, Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson, Monica Raspberry, Shaunda Greene, Jojo Witherspoon, Lynn Sherow, Elden Campbell, Carl Franklin, Frank Scott, Jim Harrick and many others, but the playoffs will be the next step very soon. 

No. 1 USC ends No. 21 Washington win streak, 59-50

By
Charle' Moore
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Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

Los Angeles, CA – Freshman Jazzy Davidson led the No. 16 USC in her first career Big Ten opener, to a 59-50 victory with a big double-double, scoring a season-high 22 points plus 12 rebounds, to end No. 21 Washington 8-game win streak at the Galen Center.

Women of Troy recorded their longest home game winning streak since 1948 with 19 in a row to help their head coach Lindsay Gottlieb become the fastest coach in program history to reach 100 wins out of 138 games.

Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

“As I told them in there, this is a big win,” coach Gottlieb said. “It’s a conference win. It’s a top 25 win. It’s a NCAA tournament team win.”

The low scoring affair was big for both teams coming in on win streaks though neither teams could get much going on offense with the scored tied at halftime 22-22.

“I’m really proud of the way we competed especially the first quarter, though I know that sounds crazy, when to not score for eight and half minutes,” coach Gottlieb said.

Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

Sophomore Guard Kennedy Smith whose struggle on offense hit one of the two triples for the game to give SC their first lead, 17-16 with less than four minutes remaining in the first half, but the momentum booster was short as Washington answered right back to close the half. 

“I thought Ken’s leadership, Malia’s leadership, people who could settle us in, did so,” coach Gottlieb said about her team’s early offensive woes. 

Davidson extended 6-0 run to 9-0 run after nailing the team’s only other 3-pointer of the game to seal the game as Women of Troy never trailed after midway through the third quarter, 34-27. The lady Huskies kept competing and even went on a 4-0 run to close the quarter, 34-39.

“I thought our defense was elite…they’re [Huskies] really talented,” coach Gottlieb said. “They come in with a lot of actions and movements this Princeton stuff…”

Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

Washington expanded their run with six points, until SC forced a turnover and capitalized with a transition bunny assisted by Davidson to Kennedy Smith. Then Davidson followed with a short fadeaway to push lead back up to five, 51-46. 

“I think there are some nights like that,” Davidson said about team’s rollercoaster shooting. “I have full confidence in my teammates to hit those shots and same with myself…I think those shots you make nine out of ten times, you just keep shooting them.”

Sayvia Sellers kept shooting to keep her Huskies team in the game before fouling out and finishing with 20 points on 7-of-23 shooting. Former USC transfer Avery Howell added 16 points and 13 rebounds. Howell received a warm welcome of boos and bumps in game while she picked up a few chippy fouls towards some of her former teammates.

Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

Both teams shot ugly to start the game but USC (7-2) improved to 38% while going 11 of 21 from the charity stripe and 2 of 17 from behind the arc. Washington (8-1) shot 27% (18 of 67) from the field, 6 of 25 (24%) from 3-point range.

The Women of Troy’s four game win streak out of this sixth game homestead, will need this type of momentum and confidence built in their preparation for what could be their toughest home opponent this season, hosting Number one team, UConn on Saturday.

UCLA Women take down the Ducks

By
Jennifer Moore
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Photo by Jason Purisima

LOS ANGELES, CA — LOS ANGELES — UCLA Bruins opened Big Ten play in dominant fashion Sunday, rolling past Oregon Ducks 80–59 at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins (9-1, 1-0 Big Ten) jumped out early, building a 19–8 first-quarter lead and never looking back.

By halftime they led 49–26, thanks in part to a 10-0 second-quarter run that widened the gap.

UCLA’s Lauren Betts #51 finishes at the rim (Photo by Jason Purisima)

Center Lauren Betts powered the Bruins — she posted a season-high 24 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and swatted five blocks.

Graduate guard Gianna Kneepkens added 17 points and helped extend the Bruins’ advantage throughout.

On the glass, UCLA crushed Oregon 52–29 in total rebounds and controlled the paint with a 40–28 edge.

The Bruins also moved the ball well, compiling 22 assists.

Oregon’s Katie Fiso #2 dribbling up court (Photo by Jason Purisima)

For Oregon (10-1, 0-1 Big Ten), forward Ehis Etute led the team with 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while guard Katie Fiso added 14 points.

 But the Ducks struggled mightily from the floor — shooting just 3-for-18 in the first quarter and failing to recover enough to stay within striking distance.

“From the opening tip we set the tone,” Betts said after the game. “We knew we had to own the boards and play tough defense — that got us rolling.”

UCLA’s Lauren Betts #51 attacking Oregon’s Sarah Rambus #23 (Photo by Jason Purisima)

Bruins coach Cori Close lauded the collective effort: “We shared the ball, moved it, and got great energy on the glass. That’s the recipe for success.”

The loss ends Oregon’s unbeaten start and hands UCLA its sixth straight victory over the Ducks, continuing a trend of strong Bruins performances in this matchup.

Hoosiers’ Heist in Indy: Mendoza, Becker Stun No. 1 Ohio State to Claim Historic Big Ten Title

By
Davyn Wright
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Big Ten Championship December 06 Indiana Hoosiers vs Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. ( Photo by Andre Hollis /fi360 News)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — In a classic Big Ten Heavyweight fight worthy of the conference’s grandest stage, No. 2 Indiana stunned No. 1 Ohio State 13–10 Saturday night inside Lucas Oil Stadium, riding a fearless performance from quarterback Fernando Mendoza and a game-breaking night from tight end Charlie Becker to claim the Big Ten Championship before a record crowd of 68,214.

Mendoza, the Hoosiers’ Heisman frontrunner, carved up college football’s top-ranked team with poise and toughness, throwing for 222 yards on 15-of-23 passing with one touchdown and one interception, while Becker delivered the defining moments of the night with six catches for 126 yards, repeatedly torching the Buckeyes in the biggest spots. Indiana’s final defensive stand — a bat-down on Ohio State’s last-gasp throw with 18 seconds remaining — sealed the first Big Ten title in program history and sent crimson-clad fans into delirium.

Indiana Hoosiers Big Ten Champions December 06 Indiana Hoosiers vs Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. ( Photo by Andre Hollis /fi360 News)

Indiana announced it wasn’t intimidated early, even as adversity struck immediately. Mendoza was knocked down on the first play — a hit many thought deserved a flag — but returned after briefly exiting as his brother took the second snap. From there, the Hoosiers settled in, converting a crucial 3rd-and-4 on their opening drive with a strike to Becker, foreshadowing what would become a recurring nightmare for Ohio State.

The defenses dominated the opening quarter. Indiana generated pressure Ohio State hadn’t seen a week earlier against Michigan, culminating in Louis Moore’s interception of Julian Sayin on a 3rd-and-6, giving IU prime field position. The Hoosiers managed just six plays and 12 yards, but the short field was enough for a 3–0 lead after a field goal.

Julian Sayin throw at strike for the first touchdown during the Big Ten Championship December 06 Indiana Hoosiers vs Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. ( Photo by Andre Hollis /fi360 News)

Ohio State answered late in the first quarter despite penalties and stalled momentum when Sayin found Carnell Tate in the back of the end zone for a 7–3 Buckeyes lead. Indiana responded with a perfectly timed pass interference call and a 37-yard burst by Black, though a missed field goal kept points off the board — the kind of mistake that usually costs teams against No. 1.

Still, this Indiana team was different.

After another Ohio State drive featuring a 52-yard Sayin-to-Smith connection, IU’s defense stiffened, forcing a field goal instead of a touchdown. Trailing 10–3, Indiana gambled near midfield, converting a 4th-and-2 with a perfectly executed fake to tight end Riley Nowakowski, igniting the stadium. A 14-play, six-minute march followed — capped by a made field goal this time — trimming the deficit to 10–6 at halftime.

Rolijah Hardy with a critical 4th down stop duringBig Ten Championship December 06 Indiana Hoosiers vs Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. ( Photo by Andre Hollis /fi360 News)

At the break, Indiana had out-possessed Ohio State and out-hit them, posting 166 total yards (87 pass, 79 rush) while holding the Buckeyes to just 19 rushing yards. Both teams had turnovers, three sacks apiece, and everything pointed to a heavyweight fight heading into the second half.

The Hoosiers came out swinging.

Indiana’s defense opened the third quarter with back-to-back sacks, forcing a Buckeye punt. On the very next series, Mendoza hit Becker for a 51-yard strike, flipping the field and momentum in one play. Seven snaps later, Mendoza zipped a 17-yard touchdown to Elijah Sarratt, completing an 88-yard drive in just three minutes and putting Indiana in front 13–10.

“Ho-ho-ho Hoosiers” echoed through the dome as Indiana seized control.

Ohio State threatened late in the third, marching inside the red zone behind Sayin’s rhythm throws, but a potential game-changing QB sneak on fourth down was overturned on review, handing the ball — and momentum — back to Indiana.

Fernando Mendoza hands the ball off to Kaelin Black during Big Ten Championship December 06 Indiana Hoosiers vs Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. ( Photo by Andre Hollis /fi360 News)

The fourth quarter delivered pure drama.

Mendoza kept answering the call, again finding Becker on third down, this time for 15 yards, before Ohio State forced a punt. The Buckeyes countered with clutch conversions, trick plays, and a double pass — aided by a 15-yard penalty — setting up a tying field goal attempt under five minutes.

It missed.

With 2:48 left, Indiana took over protecting a three-point lead. Facing 3rd-and-6 with 2:41 remaining, Mendoza calmly delivered the dagger — a 33-yard strike to Becker, his biggest catch in a night full of them and his third 100-yard game of the season. Indiana bled the clock, punted, and trusted a defense that had already proven it belonged.

Ohio State got one final shot. It never landed.

A Hoosier defender batted down Sayin’s last throw, and the celebration was on.

Fernando Mendoza holding up the MVP trophy during the Big Ten Championship December 06 Indiana Hoosiers vs Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. ( Photo by Andre Hollis /fi360 News)

Indiana — in its first-ever Big Ten Championship Game appearance — completed a perfect season, took down the nation’s top team, and made an unmistakable statement heading into the College Football Playoff. Against a Buckeye defense no one had cracked all year, the Hoosiers attacked through the air and on the ground, converting when it mattered and refusing to blink.

On a night built for legends, Fernando Mendoza and Charlie Becker delivered one, and Indiana football reached a place it had never been before.

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