Charisma Osborne and Londynn Jones lead UCLA past Washington
Charisma Osborne scored 17 points and Londynn Jones had 13 to lead No. 2 UCLA to a 62-44 win over Washington on Friday night at Pauley Pavilion.
UCLA (16-2, 5-2 Pac-12) had lost two of its last three games before beating the Huskies. With a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, UCLA went on a 10-0 run late to build a 60-40 lead.
“We’ve got a lot to work on, but I’m happy we won ugly,” UCLA coach Cori Close said.
Washington (12-6, 2-5) has lost six of its last seven games. Dalayah Daniels had a team-high 14 points for the Huskies and Elle Ladine scored 13.
Loyola Marymount will drop its number of athletic teams from 20 to an NCAA minimum 14. Men’s and women’s track and rowing will be cut, along with men’s cross-country and women’s swimming.
Lauren Betts, UCLA’s leading scorer at 15.4 points per game and one of the top players in the country, did not play due to undisclosed medical reasons. Washington’s Jayda Noble, a starter, did not make the trip to Los Angeles for undisclosed reasons.
UCLA and Washington were both cold from the field in the first half. The Bruins made just eight of 39 shots (20.5%, their lowest field-goal percentage for a half) in the first half while Washington made just 30%.
The Bruins, however, shot 41% in the second half and outrebounded Washington 50-37 in the game.
“We were able to hold them to their lowest field-goal percentage all season, and I thought we defended well,” Washington coach Tina Langley said. “And I thought their defense was really good as well and they were able to turn us over and create some baskets.
“We’ve got to continue to learn to take care of the basketball. They’re a great team, incredibly well coached. Really talented. They’re the No. 2 team in the country for a reason. I like how we battled for most of the game.”
UCLA had seven turnovers in the first quarter but just six through the next three quarters. The Bruins turned it around in the second half, making 15 of 36 shots. Osborne made a three-pointer from the left wing at the halftime buzzer to give the Bruins a 23-21 lead.
The Bruins outscored the Huskies 23-15 in the third quarter to take a 46-36 lead. Osborne had a pair of tough three-point plays in the quarter to lead UCLA.
“I was just trying to attack the basket,” Osborne said. “Coach Cori was really trying to encourage me and the rest of the guards to …”
Close interrupted with a smile. “Encouraging is a nice way of saying it,” Close said.
“You were though,” Osborne continued. “I was just trying to attack the basket. Focusing on attacking and finishing through contact. I think that helped me so much to be able to finish those shots.”
Big picture
Washington: The Huskies are young and are getting good experience for the freshmen and sophomores, who make up eight of the 12 roster spots.
UCLA: Even though it wasn’t pretty, especially in the first half, the Bruins got back on track after losing two of their last three, providing a gritty win.
Up next for UCLA: vs. Washington State at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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