If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
That’s been the case for the defensive-minded UCLA women’s basketball team so far this season.
Coming off two dominant wins, the Bruins utilized the same successful formula to defeat Nevada 62-47 on Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins (6-1) opened the game on a 15-4 run and played relentlessly on the defensive end, holding the Wolfpack (4-5) to 4-of-24 shooting in the first half.
Offensively, the Bruins weren’t all that better, shooting only 11-for-37 (29.7 percent) before halftime.
Yet UCLA was able to open up a 13-point lead going into the break, thanks in large part to its stifling defense.
Though Nevada guards Brandi Jones and Dellena Criner scored 16 and 13 points, respectively, the Bruins held the rest of Nevada’s players to just 18 points combined.
The Bruins forced a total of 21 turnovers and posted 15 steals.
For UCLA, only sophomore guard Darxia Morris, who came off the bench to post a team-high 10 points, scored in double digits.
Two of her teammates ““ senior guard Tierra Henderson and junior guard Erica Tukiainen ““ added nine points apiece while senior forward Chinyere Ibekwe and sophomore guard Doreena Campbell contributed eight points each.
Like in games prior, the Bruins also put a high emphasis on controlling the boards. Overall, UCLA held a 54-34 edge on the glass ““ including a staggering 21 offensive rebounds.
After a poor first half, the Bruins shot 13-for-27 (48.1 percent) from the field in the second half to keep the game out of reach.
With the win, the Bruins extend their winning streak to four games and improve to 5-0 at home this season.
UCLA returns to the hardcourt next Sunday to face the University of San Diego (6-3) at Pauley Pavilion.