UCLA Hosts Colorado Friday in Play4Kay Game

GAME INFORMATION
UCLA Bruins (11-9, 6-6) vs. Colorado (16-7, 5-7)
Date: Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom)
Watch: Pac-12 Network (Anne Marie Anderson, Tammy Blackburn)
Radio: ucla.leanplayer.com (Dave Marcus)

SERIES HISTORY / SCOUTING REPORT: Colorado Buffaloes
Friday's matchup between the Bruins and Buffaloes is the 21st all-time game in the series, with UCLA holding a 14-6 advantage. The Bruins had won 10 in a row prior to this season, but the Buffaloes broke the streak on Jan. 9 in Boulder with a 71-63 victory. The two teams did not play at all last season, as both games were postponed due to injury concerns within the Bruin program.

The Buffaloes enter Friday's game with a 16-7 overall and 5-7 record in conference play. They started the season by winning their first 13 games before suffering their first loss on Jan. 14 to Stanford. The Buffaloes, who are coming off a 63-46 loss at Stanford on Sunday, are led by fifth-year senior Mya Hollingshead, who has seven double-doubles and leads the team with a 14.1 scoring average. Quay Miller also averages in double-figures with 11.3 ppg off the bench.

PLAY4KAY
Friday's game marks UCLA's annual Play4Kay game, which honors cancer survivors and thrivers in the fight against all cancers affecting women. Play4Kay is inspired by legendary basketball coach Kay Yow, who fought a 22-year battle with breast cancer. The first 1,000 fans in attendance on Friday will receive a special Play4Kay t-shirt. Exclusive women's basketball gear will also auctioned off at the game, with proceeds going towards Pledge It for Play-4-Kay. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and be in their seats by 7pm as both teams take part in a breast cancer awareness walk on the court. Additionally, UCLA is participating in the Play4Kay National Free Throw Challenge, where donations are made for every free throw made during games played in February. To join the challenge, click here.

LAST GAME -- UCLA at Oregon (Feb. 16)
UCLA outscored Oregon 24-14 in the third quarter to cut a 20-point halftime deficit in half, but the Bruins were unable to get any closer than eight, as the Ducks closed strong in the fourth to claim a 67-53 non-conference victory. Charisma Osborne and Dominique Onu each scored game-highs of 16 points, a new career-high for Onu. The Bruins had a fantastic start to the second half, forcing a turnover on the first possession and then getting a four-point play from Osborne, who was fouled while making a three-pointer. An IImar'I Thomas second-chance basket early in the fourth quarter pulled UCLA within single digits, 54-46, for the first time since the first quarter, but UCLA finished the game missing 11 of its last 13 shots.

LOOKING BACK -- UCLA at Colorado (Jan. 9)
Freshman Izzy Anstey had a career day on the glass with 13 rebounds, but UCLA could not power past Colorado in Boulder on Jan. 9, losing 71-63. Jaylyn Sherrod's 25 points led all players, and Natalie Chou was UCLA's top scorer with 15 points. Jaelynn Penn (11), Charisma Osborne (10) and IImar'I Thomas (10) also scored in double figures.

OSBORNE IN MIX FOR MULTIPLE YEAR-END AWARDS
Junior guard Charisma Osborne remains in the mix for several year-end awards, being selected to the Late Season Top 20 Watch List for the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's, the Midseason Watch List for the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy, and the Top 10 Watch List for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award. Osborne is currently second in the Pac-12 in scoring at 17.4 points per game. She has scored in double figures in 17 of the 18 games she has played this season and has seven 20-point games to her credit, including two in her last three games (22 at Washington Feb. 13 and 23 at Washington State Feb. 11). She also has a 27-point effort at USC on Jan. 23 and a 26-point output against UConn on Dec. 11. Earlier this season, Osborne joined UCLA's 1,000-point club and now has 1,082 career points.

NOTES ON THE BRUINS
• UCLA has two players ranked in the Top 8 in scoring in the Pac-12 (No. 2 Charisma Osborne - 17.4 and No. 8 IImar'I Thomas - 15.2). Oregon is the only other school with more than one player in the Top 10 (No. 5 Nyara Sabally and No. 10 Endyia Rogers).
• UCLA leads the Pac-12 with just 12.8 turnovers per game.
• UCLA ranks No. 3 in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage (.760) and No. 4 in turnover margin (+2.90) and assist/turnover ratio (1.09).
• Osborne had a pair of 20-point games last weekend, recording game-highs of 23 points at Washington State and 22 points at Washington. She has seven 20+ point performances this season.
• UCLA is 11-2 this season when holding its opponent under 70 points, its only losses coming at Washington State Friday (66-65) and at Oregon Wednesday (67-53).
• Natalie Chou has started every game this season and in 38 consecutive games dating back to last season.

UCLA MILESTONE WATCH
• Charisma Osborne became the 38th player to join the 1,000 point club at UCLA after scoring 13 against Arizona (Jan. 26). She now has 1,082 career points. Osborne has dished out 191 assists across her career, just nine away from 200.
• Natalie Chou has scored 997 points across her career, just three away from 1,000.
• IImar'I Thomas has dished out 286 career assists, just 14 away from 300. She has 978 career rebounds, just 22 shy of 1,000.
• Jaelynn Penn has scored 1,471 career points, just 29 away from 1,500.
• Penn has dished out 236 career assists, 14 away from 250.

ON THE MEND
The Bruins are starting to get more players back in the rotation, with three players all making their season debuts in the past three weeks. Redshirt freshman forward Angela Dugalic, a transfer from Oregon, made her first Bruin appearance on Feb. 11 at Washington State, playing 16 minutes and grabbing 4 rebounds. Dugalic scored her first points as a Bruin the following game at Washington, netting two baskets and snagging three rebounds in 14 minutes of action. Junior guard Camryn Brown returned on Jan. 30 at Oregon State after her ACL injury suffered at the end of 2020-21 and has started three of the last four games. Junior forward Brynn Masikewich made her first appearance since 2019-20 during the Bruins' Jan. 26 game against Arizona and also saw action at Oregon State on Jan. 30. Additionally, Jaelynn Penn returned on Feb. 13 from a hand injury that kept her out of seven games and started the following game at Oregon, playing 29 minutes. She had started the season's first 11 games prior to her injury.

UCLA's 1-2 PUNCH -- Charisma Osborne and IImar'I Thomas
UCLA is the only Pac-12 team with a pair of players among the league's Top 8 scorers, with junior guard Charisma Osborne currently second with 17.4 points per game and graduate transfer forward IImar'I Thomas eighth at 15.2 points per game. Osborne has two 20-point games in her last three games, scoring game-highs of 23 points at Washington State and 22 points at Washington) and also had a 27-point outing in the team's road victory over USC on Jan. 23, securing six rebounds and dishing out three assists in the win. Thomas has impressed in her first season with the Bruins after transferring from Cincinnati, compiling 17 double-digit scoring efforts, including a 32-point performance in UCLA's dominant victory over San Jose State (Dec. 5) and her first double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds) of the season against California (Feb. 6). Osborne has scored 10+ points in 17 of 18 games she has played this season, and Thomas has reached double figures in 14 of UCLA's last 16 contests and in 17 games total.

ELITE RECRUITING CLASS -- Class of 2022
The Bruins have signed ESPN's No. 1 recruiting class in the nation for the high school class of 2022. It's the second No. 1-ranked class for the Bruins, as the 2014 recruiting haul included Lajahna Dummer and Kelli Hayes, as well as future WNBA pros Jordin Canada and Monique Billings. UCLA is now the only Pac-12 school since 2010 to sign multiple No. 1 classes and one of just four schools in the country to accomplish the feat since 2010. Kiki Rice is the highest-ranked recruit in UCLA WBB history, and Gabriela Jaquez is the sister of UCLA MBB star Jaime Jaquez Jr. Both players were recently named McDonald's All-Americans, and Rice is a finalist for the Naismith Girls Player of the Year award.The current class features:
SIGNEEES: #2-ranked Kiki Rice (5-11 point guard), #19-ranked Gabriela Jaquez (6-0 forward), #22-ranked Londynn Jones (5-5 point guard), #49-ranked Christeen Iwuala (6-3 forward), and German standout Lina Sontag.

WATCH LIST RECOGNITION
The Bruins have been represented on the following national award watch lists and preseason teams:
• Charisma Osborne: Preseason All-Pac-12 team, Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award Top 20 Watch List, Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List, Wade Watch, Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List, Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award Top 10 Watch List, Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy for Women's Player of the Year Midseason Watch List
• Gina Conti: Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Top 20 Watch List, All-Pac-12 team honorable mention
• Natalie Chou: Preseason All-Pac-12 team honorable mention

UP NEXT: UCLA vs. Utah (Feb. 20)
After Friday's game vs. Colorado, the Bruins will wrap up their home season with a Sunday, Feb. 20 contest against Utah on Senior Day. Eight Bruin seniors/graduate students will be honored in pre-game ceremonies.