The UCLA women’s basketball team saw its three-game win streak come to a screeching halt Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn., as coach Nikki Caldwell saw her Bruins go down 61-47 to her alma mater, the No. 6 Tennessee Lady Vols.
UCLA controlled the game for much of the first half, leading 24-14 with 3:42 left to go in the first half. That lead was trimmed down toward the end of the half, but UCLA still went into the break with a two-point advantage at 27-25.
However, the second half belonged to the Lady Vols, as Coach Pat Summitt’s squad took the lead within the first two minutes and never looked back.
Both teams put on lackluster shooting performances, as Tennessee shot just 35 percent from the field and UCLA connected on only 31 percent of their field goal attempts.
The key to the game was in the rebounding department, as the Lady Vols out-rebounded the Bruins 49-35. But more importantly, Tennessee was able to snatch 20 offensive rebounds, as opposed to 12 for UCLA.
Bruin freshman forward Markel Walker led everyone in both points and rebounds, finishing the game with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Only one other Bruin scored in double figures: sophomore guard Rebekah Gardner, who finished the game with 11 points.