Friday’s 95-47 win by No. 9 UCLA over Southern University was nothing short of historic.
The game started slow with a handful of missed layups and free throws, but Southern found its shooting touch first. The Jaguars attacked the Bruins with a barrage of mid-range jumpers that kept them within striking distance for the majority of the opening quarter.
UCLA however, adjusted in a matter of minutes and held Southern to only 21 first-half points, including a stretch in which the Jaguars were held scoreless for over five minutes to open the second quarter.
Southern only had three players score in double figures, but only one of them shot the ball over 50 percent from the field. Sophomore guard Skylar O’Bear led the team with 14 points on just 5-14 shooting.
For UCLA, junior forward Monique Billings came out more aggressive than she has been all season. She set a career high with six steals in just 27 minutes of play.
Billings also drew two hard fouls underneath the basket to start the game, which ignited her offensive game early. She finished second on the team in scoring, with 22 points.
Behind the sharpshooting of sophomore guard Kennedy Burke, the Bruins managed to put up an 8-14 shooting clip from three in the first half.
Burke shot 3-of-4 from long range in the first half and finished with a career-high five 3-pointers on just six attempts. Burke finished with a team-high 26 points.
The Bruins finished 14-of-25 overall from distance, which was a welcoming sight to their struggling shooters, who failed to make a single 3-pointer in the second half against Baylor on Monday.
UCLA pushed the basketball in transition all night long which led to a handful of open looks from three. Coach Cori Close gave all the praise for the high-tempo offense to a pair of her stars.
“When you’ve got a player like (junior guard Jordin Canada) and (Billings) who can play north and south and run the middle of the floor so effectively, it puts so much pressure on the defense. What are you going to take away?” Close said. “Mo with her running and her legs, getting out in front of the ball and Jordin off the bounce, you have to pick your poisons.”
Canada also had one of the most historic performances in the team’s history, despite having a slow start. Canada finished with a triple-double, her first of the season, and also scored her 1,000th point as a Bruin.
“It was very exciting, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Canada said. “The last rebound, was to (freshman forward Ally Rosenblum’s) credit. She tipped it to me so that gave me that tenth rebound.”
As for Canada’s 1000th point, she became just the 32nd player in school history to achieve the benchmark.
“It’s a great feeling knowing that I put in the work and I’m very proud of myself, but it’s not all about points,” Canada said. “Yes, it’s a great honor, but it’s not everything.”
Canada was also quick to credit her teammates for UCLA’s infectious chemistry that was on display Friday night.
“It’s a great feeling knowing that you have girls that are selfless,” Canada said. “That is what I love about this team, we are willing to give up and sacrifice our own good shot for a great shot.”
Another standout performance Friday night came courtesy of junior forward Paulina Hersler. She finished with a career high in makes from long range, with three en route to a 12-point performance. She is developing into yet another threat from deep on an already talented roster in that area.
The Bruins’ next contest is Sunday afternoon at home against Cal Poly.