With four rotation players listed 6-foot-2 or taller, UCLA called its post depth its “super power.” But the Bruins showed Sunday they have more than just super strength down low.
Strong guard play from Charisma Osborne and Kiki Rice led the second-ranked Bruins to a 65-54 victory over Oregon State at Pauley Pavilion. Osborne, a fifth-year guard, had 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals and sophomore point guard Rice had 13 points and six rebounds with three assists.
UCLA (14-0, 3-0 Pac-12) extended its best start to a season since going 16-0 at the beginning of the 2019-20 season. Oregon State, which entered the weekend 12-0 for the second time in school history, got swept by the L.A. schools after losing to USC on Friday.
UCLA’s post players, led by Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalić, had their hands full with Oregon State forward Raegan Beers. Oregon State’s leading scorer is the only player to win the Pac-12 freshman and sixth player of the year in the same season. The sophomore had 21 points and five rebounds, but no other Oregon State player had more than Talia van Oelhoffen’s 10 points.
Beers picked up her second foul in the final minute of the first quarter, but the Beavers (12-2, 1-2 Pac-12) called on her to help quell an early UCLA run during the second quarter. The Bruins scored six consecutive points, capped by a Christeen Iwuala layup assisted by Osborne, that forced an Oregon State timeout. Beers returned and scored Oregon State’s next basket.
Read more: Angela Dugalic and Lauren Betts power No. 2 UCLA to victory over Oregon
Beers led Oregon State with 11 points during the first half as the Bruins settled for a four-point lead despite shooting 50% from the field during the second quarter.
Fouls kept Oregon State in the game as the Beavers went nine of 12 from the free-throw line in the first half compared to just two attempts for the Bruins.
The Bruins outrebounded the Beavers 37-24, including 10 offensive rebounds. Betts, UCLA’s leading scorer on the season had 10 points on four-of-nine shooting.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
