Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

No. 2 UCLA holds off No. 6 UConn 78-67

Share

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Kiki Rice scored 24 points and No. 2 UCLA held off No, 6 UConn 78-67 on Friday in the Cayman Islands Classic.

Rice also had 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Bruins (5-0), who led by as many as 23 points in the second half. Charisma Osborne added 18 points and Lauren Betts had 13 points.

Paige Bueckers led all scorers with 31 points for UConn (3-2).

UCLA led by as many as 19 points in the first half before the Huskies cut that to five at halftime.

But the Bruins scored the first seven points of the second half and outscored the Huskies 22-8 in the third period. A 3-point play by Lauren Betts gave the Bruins their first 20-point lead at 57-37 and they led by 21 after three.

The Huskies made a run in the fourth quarter, and cut the lead to 74-65 on a 3-pointer by Bueckers with just over 2 minutes left.

But that was a close as they would get.

UCLA scored the game’s first 10 points and led 28-12 after Camryn Brown’s 3-pointer to end the first period.

Osborne’s 3-pointer to open the second quarter extended that lead to 19 points.

But Bueckers had 18 points in the first half to keep UConn in the game. She led the Huskies on a 13-0 run to bring Connecticut back to within three at 37-34

Rice had 14 of her points in the first half and UCLA went into the break up 39-34.

BIG PICTURE

UCLA: The Bruins No. 2 ranking is the highest in program history. Five Bruins came into the game averaging double figures, led by Betts at 19.5 points per game.

UConn: Injuries have left the Huskies with just 10 healthy players for the tournament. They lost star guard Azzi Fudd last week to a knee injury and were also without starter Caroline Ducharme who has been battling concussion issues and was suffering from neck problems. Freshman center Jana El Alfy suffered a torn Achilles in the preseason and won’t play this year.

UP NEXT

UCLA: The Bruins face Niagara on Saturday

UConn: The Huskies play Kansas on Saturday.

__ Get alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball