UCLA Women’s Basketball vs. Cal State Fullerton Rescheduled
2020-21 Information Guide | UCLA's Notes
LOS ANGELES – No. 9 UCLA Women's Basketball's home opener against Cal State Fullerton has been rescheduled to Friday, Nov. 25, at 4:00 p.m. PT. The game will be played at Pauley Pavilion.
The two teams were originally slated to play on Wednesday afternoon, but the game was postponed due to delays in receiving visiting team test results.
GAME INFORMATION
No. 9/10 UCLA (0-0, 0-0) vs. Cal State Fullerton (0-0, 0-0)
Date: Friday, Nov. 27
Time: 4:00 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom)
Watch: UCLA Live Stream (pac-12.com/live/ucla)
Listen: ucla.leanplayer.com (Play-By-Play: Dave Marcus)
OPENING DAY
The Bruins open their 2020-21 season with a home matchup against Cal State Fullerton on Friday at 4:00 p.m. PT. The Bruins own a commanding 25-10 advantage in the all-time series against the Titans. This is the first matchup against Fullerton in Head Coach Cori Close's tenure at UCLA. The Bruins notched a 78-62 victory against CSUF in the last meeting between the programs back in November of 2008.
2019-20 IN REVIEW
UCLA is coming off a 26-5 season in 2019-20, the fifth-straight 20-win season under Coach Close. The Bruins finished 14-4 in Pac-12 play, good for second place in the regular season standings. UCLA advanced to the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament and was on track to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, but subsequent postseason play was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the conclusion of the season, Michaela Onyenwere earned AP Third-Team All-America accolades. Onyenwere and then-senior Japreece Dean earned All-Pac-12 honors.
NOTES ON THE BRUINS
• Michaela Onyenwere earned Preseason AP All-America honors, becoming just the second Bruin to do so (Maylana Martin --1999).
• Onyenwere and sophomore guard Charisma Osborne earned Preseason All-Pac-12 acclaim.
• Onyenwere has been named to the Naismith Trophy and Cheryl Miller Award watch lists.
• Osborne has been named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list.
• Osborne made 59 three-pointers last year, the most by a freshman in UCLA history.
• Lauryn Miller set career-high averages in points (6.6), rebounds (5.7 ), and assists (1.5) per game last season.
• UCLA is one of only eight programs to have reached the Sweet 16 in each of the last four seasons.
• The Bruins have won at least 22 games in each of the last five seasons.
• The Bruins have won 71 of their last 80 games (.888) at Pauley Pavilion over the last five seasons.
UCLA'S LEADING SCORER
Senior forward Michaela Onyenwere enters the 2020-21 season as the Bruins' leading scorer over the past two seasons. She averaged a career-high 18.9 points per game last season and notched 13 games with at least 20 points in 2019-20. With a full season ahead of her, she already sits 19th on UCLA's all-time scoring list with 1,449 points. If she eclipses the 2,000-point milestone this season, she will become the fourth Bruin to do so and just the third to score 500+ points in three-consecutive seasons.
UP NEXT: UCLA at Pepperdine (Sunday, Nov. 29)
UCLA plays its first road game of the 2020-21 season against Pepperdine on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 4:00 p.m. PT. The Bruins hold a 16-3 all-time record against the Waves and have won the last three matchups. The teams last played in November of 2013, when UCLA secured an 82-78 home victory.
2020-21 ROSTER AT A GLANCE
The Bruins return four players who started at least 20 games last year: Michaela Onyenwere, Charisma Osborne, Lauryn Miller, and Lindsey Corsaro. Onyenwere was the team's leading scorer with 18.9 points per game last year, while Osborne returns after a freshman campaign that saw her put up 12.2 points per game, the third-most on the team. Miller started 30 games as a true junior and put up a career-high 6.6 points per game. Corsaro logged 23.5 minutes per contest in 2019-20 and can serve as a primary ball-handler for the Bruins in the upcoming season. UCLA also returns redshirt senior Natalie Chou, who put up 7.4 points per contest in her first active season with the team last season. The Bruins' key departure from last year is point guard Japreece Dean, who earned All-Pac-12 honors last season. Dean was drafted by the Chicago Sky and is now playing overseas.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
UCLA freshman Emily Bessoir has already made a huge impact in her brief time with the program thus far. At 6'4", she is the tallest player on the Bruins' active roster and has a commanding presence in the post. That said, she has strong ball-handling skills and can lead a fastbreak for the Bruins off a rebound. Bessoir was named to ESPN's Newcomer Impact Rankings for the upcoming season.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
Senior forward Michaela Onyenwere and sophomore guard Charisma Osborne have been named to several preseason watch lists for various national awards. Both players were also named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 team.
• Onyenwere: Preseason AP All-American, Preseason All-Pac-12, Naismith Trophy Watch List (collegiate player of the year), Cheryl Miller Award Watch List (nation's best small forward)
• Osborne: Preseason All-Pac-12, Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List (nation's best shooting guard)
OSBORNE'S HISTORIC GAME
Charisma Osborne's debut campaign was littered with highlights, including a career night on the road at Washington State (Jan. 26). Osborne scored a career-high 32 points in the team's win and added 11 rebounds on the night. She became just the sixth Bruin player since 1999 with a 30-10 performance.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Michaela Onyenwere is currently 19th on UCLA's all-time scoring list with 1,449 points. If she eclipses the 2,000-point milestone this season, she will become the fourth Bruin to do so and just the third to score 500+ points in three-consecutive seasons.