LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gabriela Jaquez and Lauren Betts scored 17 points apiece, and No. 4 UCLA routed winless Long Beach State 106-44 on Saturday for the Bruins’ largest victory of the season in their final nonconference game.
Kiki Rice added 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Bruins (11-1). Gianna Kneepkens had 10 points and 10 rebounds as one of four starters in double figures. Jaquez tied her career high with five 3-pointers.
Long Beach State was led by JaQuoia Jones-Brown with 10 points. The Beach (0-10) committed 20 turnovers and were on the wrong end of nearly every statistical category in their worst loss this season. Two starters, Khylee-Jade Pepe and Judit Oliva Fernandez, were both in foul trouble.
UCLA led 29-11 after one quarter and closed the second with a 20-5 run that extended the margin to 57-23 at halftime. Jaquez made her first four 3s in the opening period.
The Bruins held the Beach to eight points in the third while pushing their lead to 78-31, capped by Jaquez’s fifth 3-pointer. UCLA finished off the fourth by outscoring the Beach 28-13. Megan Grant, a star player on the school’s softball team, scored her second basket of the season.
UCLA freshman Sienna Betts had season highs of 14 points and 15 minutes in her second game. The younger sister of star center Lauren Betts missed the first 10 games while nursing a lower left leg injury sustained in preseason practice. The sisters assisted each other on multiple baskets.
Bruins coach Cori Close emptied her bench, with every player scoring.
The two teams also met a year ago to the day, when UCLA won by 32 on its way to a Final Four berth.
UCLA’s margin of victory topped its 51-point win over Southern on Nov. 23.
Up next
Long Beach State hosts Toledo on Monday.
UCLA visits No. 21 Ohio State on Dec. 28 in its second Big Ten game of the season.
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