UCLA coach Cori Close challenged her Bruins to remember the style of play that helped them become the No. 1- ranked team in the country.
“We wanted to be the pretty team instead of the gritty team,” Close said after her team’s uneven performance during an 11-point win over Washington on Dec. 8.
It was a call to action for the Bruins (10-0), who responded in dominant fashion, securing a decisive 102-51 win over Long Beach State (5-4) at Walter Pyramid on Saturday.
Close became the all-time winningest coach in program history, earning her 297th victory to surpass Billie Moore (296-181).
UCLA forced 26 turnovers and recorded 14 steals, converting those takeaways into 34 points. The Bruins also dominated the boards, outrebounding Long Beach State, 51-22.
Early on, the Bruins played with a heightened intensity, diving on the floor for loose balls and applying relentless full-court defensive pressure.
Long Beach State struggled to find answers offensively and was thoroughly outmatched, scoring its fewest points in a game this season.
UCLA guard Kiki Rice controls the ball in front of Long Beach State forward Jada Crawshaw during the first half Saturday.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
UCLA center Lauren Betts, who had a seven-inch height advantage over Long Beach State’s frontcourt, recorded her seventh double-double of the season, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Angela Dugalić delivered a near-perfect performance and career high in points to lead UCLA, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Dugalic was efficient, scoring both in the paint and from beyond the arc.
She started seven for seven from the field and two for two from three-point range, nearly outscoring the Beach singlehandedly with 16 points in the first half.
The Bruins scored 66 points down low.
UCLA’s Janiah Barker and Gabriela Jaquez also finished with double-figure scoring. Barker scored 19 points on nine-of-10 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds, recording her third double-double of the season. Jaquez matched a season-high with 17 points.
UCLA controlled the game from the outset, outscoring Long Beach State 49-20 by halftime, forcing 17 turnovers and holding the Beach to 24% shooting from the field in the first half.
Despite the dominant win, the Bruins struggled with wasted possessions, leaving Close visibly displeased at times on the sidelines. UCLA, which averages 14.6 turnovers per game, had 19 in the game.