UCLA Advances to WNIT Quarters with 74-60 Win over Northern Colorado

LOS ANGELES – UCLA advanced to the quarterfinals of the WNIT with a 74-60 win over Northern Colorado on Thursday evening in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins improved to 16-18 on the year while UNC ends its season at 22-13.

It was a tight affair for most of the first half with three ties and six lead changes in the first nine minutes as the game was tied at 13-13 at the 11:32 mark of the first half. At one point, junior Nirra Fields scored 10 straight points to turn a 13-11 deficit into a 19-13 lead. The Bruins would lead 22-20 when UCLA got three-pointers from Kari Korver and Madeline Poteet as part of a 10-2 run to push the lead to double figures for the first time at 32-22 (3:20). Monique Billings gave the Bruins their largest lead of the first half at 11 (39-28) on a layup with :35 to go, but the Bears' Kourteney Zadina drained a deep three-pointer before the buzzer to provide the 39-31 advantage for UCLA at the break.

The Bruins outshot UNC in the opening stanza, 55.2 percent (16-for-29) to 41.9 percent (13-for-31). Both teams had five assists, nine turnovers and 16 rebounds in the first half.

UCLA went cold in the second half, opening just 1-for-10 from the field as Northern Colorado took the lead for the first time since 13-11 (11:47 in the first half) to go up 48-47 (11:16 in the second half). But Jordin Canada answered with an and-one and converted the three-point play to regain the lead. The Bruins would never trail again.

Leading 54-53 (8:44), Fields used her offense to convert a three-point play and then used her defense on the next trip down the floor to get a steal, which led to a fastbreak layup by Lajahna Drummer to push the lead to 59-53 (7:50). UCLA outscored the Bears 27-12 to provide the 74-60 final.

UCLA finished shooting 47.3% (26-for-55) while limiting Northern Colorado to 40.3% (25-for-62) for the game. UCLA had 19 turnovers to lose that battle (16 for UNC), but outrebounded the Bears 40-31 (24-15 in the second half).

Fields ended the contest with a team-high 26 points, marking her third-straight WNIT contest with 20-plus points. Canada finished with 14 points and was joined by Korver's 11 points to complete the Bruin trio in double figures. Billings had a solid outing of six points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

The Bears were led by Stephanie Lee's game-high 31points (13-for-23 from the field). D'Shara Strange was the only other UNC player to score in double digits with 12 points, just missing a double-double with nine boards.

The Bruins will host Saint Mary's in the Quarterfinals on Sunday, Mar. 29 in Pauley Pavilion. Game time to be announced. The Gaels advanced with a 77-69 win at Sacramento State tonight.