Washington Defeats UCLA, 70-58
LOS ANGELES -- The UCLA Bruins could never gain momentum Friday night at Pauley Pavilion, as they dropped their third in a row, 70-58 to the Washington Huskies. With the loss, the Bruins dropped to 10-12 (4-6 in Pac-12 play), while the Huskies improved to 11-9 (4-5).
Freshman Kelsey Plum led the way for Washington with 21 points, while her backcourt mate, senior Mercedes Wetmore, added a season-best 14.
Junior Corinne Costa tallied her first career double-double for the Bruins with a career-high 17 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Atonye Nyingifa added a double-double of her own with 16 points and 12 rebounds. It marked the second time this season that the Bruins have had two or more players record double-doubles in the same game.
The Bruins jumped out to a 6-0 lead as they made their first three shots of the game and watched the Huskies miss their first five. Washington responded with 10 straight points as five different scorers contributed to an early, balanced effort. The Huskies shot just 4-for-18 from beyond the arc and were out-rebounded by the Bruins in the frame, but UCLA made just 4-of-12 from the free throw line and sophomore Nirra Fields, the team's leading scorer, was held scoreless. A 9-3 run helped the Husky lead grow to a first half-high 14 at the break, 37-23.
Fields scored her first basket with 17:54 left in the game, but she could never get acclimated on either end of the floor. She finished with five points on 2-for-9 shooting and fouled out with 7:24 remaining, failing to reach double figures for the first time in 14 outings. Plum scored 12 points in the second half for the Huskies, who failed to make a three pointer during that period. The Bruins did not cut the Husky lead to single digits until the final minute, as Washington's advantage was never in jeopardy.
Freshman Chantel Osahor recorded a career-high four steals for the Huskies, as 17 UCLA turnovers were turned into 19 Washington points. Nyingifa and senior Thea Lemberger added three steals for the Bruins, who shot just 32.8% from the field.
The Bruins return to action Sunday when they host the Washington State Cougars. The contest will tip-off at 12:00 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
Washington at UCLA
| 1 | 2 | F | |
| Washington | 37 | 33 | 70 |
| UCLA | 23 | 35 | 58 |