03/01/26 07:20:00
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03/01 19:18 CST No. 2 UCLA women complete undefeated Big Ten regular season
with 73-50 win over USC
No. 2 UCLA women complete undefeated Big Ten regular season with 73-50 win over
USC
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- Charlisse Leger-Walker matched her season high with 20
points and No. 2 UCLA routed Southern California 73-50 on Sunday to complete
the first undefeated Big Ten women's regular season in 11 years.
The Bruins (28-1, 18-0) equaled Maryland's feat from 2014-15, when the
Terrapins also went 18-0. UCLA won the league title outright when it beat
Wisconsin last weekend. The Bruins haven't lost since Nov. 26, when they were
beaten by then-No. 4 Texas, 76-65.
Earlier Sunday, the Bruins were projected as one of the four No. 1 seeds for
the women's NCAA Tournament in a second early reveal by the selection
committee. Undefeated UConn was the No. 1 overall seed, edging UCLA and South
Carolina.
Gabriela Jaquez had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Gianna Kneepkens also
scored 14 points. Lauren Betts finished with five points on 2-of-10 shooting,
15 rebounds and five assists for the Bruins.
Freshman star Jazzy Davidson scored 12 points and Kennedy Smith added 11 for
the Trojans (17-12, 9-9), who have lost three in a row and are 7-9 in their
last 16. They got swept by the Bruins, losing 80-46 on Jan. 3.
USC star JuJu Watkins watched in street clothes, having spent the season
rehabbing from a torn ACL she sustained in March Madness last year. A year ago
Sunday, Watkins scored 30 points in a win against UCLA that clinched the Big
Ten regular-season title for the Trojans in their first season in the league.
This time, USC made a run in the third, closing within nine on nine straight
points including two 3-pointers by Kara Dunn. But the Bruins used runs of 10-0
and 7-0 to move ahead 57-36 going into the fourth.
UCLA had another 10-0 run in the fourth, when its lead ballooned to 71-42. The
Bruins dominated the boards 47-22, including a 22-5 edge on the offensive
glass. They forced USC into 15 turnovers, which led to 20 points for the Bruins.
Up next
UCLA: Plays in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis as the No. 1 seed on
Friday.
USC: Plays in the Big Ten tourney on Wednesday or Thursday.
___
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