Westwood, CA – No. 3 UCLA took all of the game’s first half to adjust to Tennessee’s unpredictable and “helter skelterish” style of play before sticking to their guns playing their discipline style of basketball to pull off a hard-earned win, 99-77 on Sunday at Pauley Pavillion, ending former lady Bruin Janiah Barker and her Lady Vols teammates’ five game winning streak.
“I knew this was going to be a really challenging stretch…” UCLA head coach Cori Close said, ”we were going to be forced to grow in our toughness and discipline.”
Both teams started off with the hot hand in the first quarter, UCLA shot 50% and Tennessee made 40% of their shots as both teams were tied, 10-10 midway thru the first.
“I want to credit how hard Tennessee plays,” Coach Close said. “They forced us to speed up sometimes and bottom line for outside this game, I want to wish Janiah Barker the best.”
While Barker expressed her feelings after the game and during the game with high-energy and emotion-fueled plays, senior forward Gabriela Jaquez seem unbothered by Barker’s 11 points start, as she made wide open shots from almost everywhere on the court, to ignite her team even drawing a foul from deep on Barker, then knocking down three free throws, to extend the Lady Bruins lead 24-15.
“You wish obviously JB [Janiah Barker] the best, she is a great person…and she’s been really great so far this year for them,” UCLA senior guard KiKi Rice said. “At the end of the day it’s just another game and we wanted to take it for that…so we wanted to prepare for what they did and not just her.”
The Lady Vols quickly responded and closed the first quarter on a 6-2 run in less than a minute remaining of the period, 26-21.
Jaquez scored 29 points off 10 of 14 shots including a career high 5 triples and 80% from charity stripe. Rice added 20 points plus tied her career high with 11 rebounds to record another career double-double.
“Early on in the first quarter, I felt like I turned the ball over a few times and made a few bad decisions,” Rice said. “So coach just encouraged me to slow down and make the right reads.”
Barker led the Lady Vols with a career-high 25 points. The UCLA transfer left last spring after one season in which she averaged 7.4 points and six rebounds.
The Lady Bruins outscored the Lady Vols 27-17 to open their lead margin and take a 76-56 lead in the third quarter. UCLA shot almost 60% from the floor, dominating Tennessee in the paint, 50-32. Lady Bruins dished 26 assists while finding a way to not turnover the ball from Lady Vols full court pressure the entire game.
“I think we have to take ownership and accountability for how we come out to play games,” Jaquez said. “We knew we’re not pleased with how we came out in that Texas game and so coming out with aggression and that mindset will really help us. And it did.”
The Lady Vols went on a 9-0 run to open the fourth, cutting the Bruins lead to 11, but the lady Bruins never let them cut it down to single digits as Rice settled in, finding open lanes and took over the game.
“Rebounding was a big key and focus for us,” Rice said. “I had surgery on my shoulder in the offseason, so I feel more comfortable rebounding.”
The Lady Vols opened the second quarter with a 16-10 run, with multiple players connecting on three-pointers, snagging a one-point lead, 37-36. The Bruins answered with a 12-2 run to go into halftime leading 49-39.
“I do think we see ourselves as that Final Four team. We always say you can’t outperform your self-image,” coach Close said. Are we playing at that level consistently yet? Not yet.”
Gianna Kneepkens poured in 19 points, hitting four 3-pointers, and Angela Dugalic had 14 points and six rebounds. Lauren Betts return to play, finishing with seven points, four rebounds and three assists after missing her team’s blowout win over Duke due to a left arm injury.
Lady Bruins still able to show their balanced depth, having four players scored in double digits despite missing key players like returning forward Timea Gardiner and Sienna Betts, who has yet to make her debut after suffering a leg injury during preseason.
UCLA (8-1) will host next Sunday its Big 10 opener matchup against Oregon while Tennessee (5-2) continues its West coast travel to Northern California facing Stanford in an ACC/SEC women’s basketball challenge on Wednesday.
