Bruins Drop Overtime Battle with Arizona, 66-71

LOS ANGELES – UCLA Women's Basketball (17-6, 6-5 Pac-12) fell to No. 22/20 Arizona (17-5, 7-4 Pac-12) in overtime Friday, dropping 66-71 against the Wildcats in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
 
Three Bruins reached double figures; Londynn Jones led the way with 20, and Emily Bessoir and Kiki Rice added 14 points apiece. Rice, Gina Conti and Charisma Osborne all totaled four or more assists in the game – UCLA assisted on 15 of 22 made baskets.
 
UCLA was outscored 38-16 in the paint by Arizona, and the Bruins only totaled three points on fast breaks despite averaging 11.9 points in transition on the year. ­­The Bruins out-rebounded the Wildcats 45-38 and had 18 offensive boards to Arizona's 9, totaling 15 second chance points in the loss.
 
The Bruins started off in a defensive battle in the first quarter; neither team shot better than 24% from the field in the period. UCLA led by five after the first, and the Bruins outscored Arizona by one in the second quarter to carry a 29-23 lead into halftime.
 
UCLA found its legs in the third quarter, shooting 7-for-17 from the field. The Bruins sank four of their eight three-point attempts in the quarter, leading 49-42 going into the final period of regulation.
 
The Bruins expanded their lead to 11 halfway through the fourth quarter – UCLA led 61-50 with 4:49 left on the clock. Arizona's Cate Reese scored six-straight points out of the media timeout as part of an 11-0 run for the Wildcats. The Bruins had the final possession with a tie ballgame and no shot clock, but Rice was unable to convert her floater attempt with three seconds on the clock.
 
Arizona scored the first two baskets in overtime before Jones sunk a three to make it a one-point game. Rice made a layup with nine seconds left to bring the Bruins within striking distance, 66-67. The Wildcats sunk both their free throws. Bessoir got a look at a corner three but was unable to convert, and she was forced to commit a foul on the Wildcat rebound. Arizona's Shaina Pellington hit both shots from the charity stripe, putting the game out of reach for the Bruins.
 
UP NEXT: vs. Arizona State (Feb. 5)
 
The Bruins are set to face Arizona State in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom on Sunday, Feb. 5, at noon. The game will be the second in a four-game home stand for UCLA. Sunday's matchup will be broadcast on Pac-12 Los Angeles with Anne Marie Anderson and Tammy Blackburn on the call.