If the Arizona Wildcats were going to have any chance to stay in a game against the No. 10 UCLA Bruins, they needed to turn the defending champions over. It seemed possible with the Bruins averaging 16 turnovers per game against Lehigh and UC Irvine. It didn’t happen in UCLA’s 76-44 victory.
“We came in wanting to create live ball turnovers so we could get out and run,” said Arizona assistant coach Julie Hairgrove. “On Betts, we were trying to be in our more hedging coverage. I thought we turned them
over a couple of times, but just give credit to UCLA. They handled our pressure really well.”
Arizona turned the Bruins over eight times. The Wildcats were limited to seven points off those turnovers.
On the other end, UCLA forced Arizona into 16 turnovers. The Bruins scored 26 points off those takeaways.
The Bruins’ size kept the Wildcats from doing much in the halfcourt. Arizona shot 24.1 percent from the field, hitting just 14 shots all game. The team went 3 for 16 from the 3-point line.
The Wildcats couldn’t contain UCLA, especially in the paint. The Bruins scored 38 points inside. They shot 41.4 percent from the field, although they only hit 30.4 percent of their 3s.
It was the Bruin’s second-largest victory this season. They defeated Lehigh by 20 in the season opener. They won by 36 against UC Irvine in their last matchup.
Shooting was especially tough for the Wildcats’ starting backcourt of Sumayah Sugapong and Puff Morris. Sugapong went 3 for 12 from the field including 1 for 6 from 3. Morris was 3 for 10, although she did go 2 for 4 from beyond the arc. As a team, the Wildcats were 7 for 20 on layups.
If there was a bright spot, it was the play of freshman Makayla Presser-Palmer. She was active and repeatedly drew fouls. She ended the night with eight points. While she was just 1 for 5 from the field, she went to the line 10 times and hit six of those free throws.
Presser-Palmer had an impact on every part of the game. She tied for the team high in points (8) and rebounds (5). She led the team with four assists, although those were offset by four turnovers.
“I really liked how MPP stayed aggressive,” Hairgrove said. “She got to the free throw line and created opportunities for her teammates. For her development, I think those were important reps against a team like UCLA. She was really learning when to attack when her drive was open, and then also making the right pass.”
Only two other players had any assists. Morris and Jasleen Green each had two. Morris tied Presser-Palmer for the team high in scoring.
Arizona continued to show promise on the offensive boards. While they had a size disadvantage against the Bruins and were outrebounded 51-39, 16 of their rebounds came on the offensive end.
The challenge was scoring off those second chances. They were only able to convert the o-boards into five points.
UCLA got out to a strong start, building a 10-point lead at 14-4. The Bruins pushed that lead out to 13 at the half.
Arizona started the second half strong, cutting the lead to single digits at 37-29 and again at 46-37. That’s when the Bruins put their collective foot down. Arizona scored just two points over the final 4:37 of the third quarter. UCLA was up by 23 when the period was over.
It didn’t get better in the fourth. Arizona was outscored 14-5 in the final 10 minutes. Burke played her reserves for much of the period, eventually taking all five starters out.
“I think we wanted to give all the players a chance to get meaningful game reps against a quality opponent,” Hairgrove said. “We ask them to stay ready everyday, and this was an opportunity to get them out there…and see if we could make a little push there at the end.”
Arizona’s 44 points were its lowest offensive output since scoring 41 against No. 8 UCLA on Mar. 2, 2024. UA lost that game 61-41. On the bright side, the Wildcats lost to No. 5 USC by just three points five days later and made the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Arizona will regroup and prepare to face Oregon State on Sunday, Nov. 15 back in Tucson. It will be their third game against a former Pac-12 rival this season. They are 1-1 in the first two.
