Women’s basketball triumphs over Trojans, matching strongest start in program history
Freshman guard Charisma Osborne posted her first collegiate double-double in No. 10 UCLA women’s basketball’s win over USC, posting 12 points and 10 rebounds on the afternoon. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Women's Basketball
| USC | 59 |
| No. 10 UCLA | 83 |
By Michael Waldman
Dec. 29, 2019 3:26 p.m.
This post was updated Dec. 29 at 4:18 p.m.
The Bruins have matched their best start in program history.
No. 10 UCLA women’s basketball (12-0) defeated USC (8-4) by a score of 83-59 in its final game of 2019. The 12-0 start for the Bruins ties their best beginning in program history, a record set in the 1980-81 season.
“Every day, in the huddles, I always tell people to bring joy and have fun, and I think that’s what we’re doing,” said redshirt senior guard Japreece Dean. “It’s just fun to be here right now and have this record.”
Freshman guard Charisma Osborne recorded her first career double-double, grabbing an individual season-high 10 rebounds and scoring 12 points. Osborne accounted for six of UCLA’s 12 offensive rebounds in the Bruins’ first conference victory.
UCLA assisted on eight of its first 10 field goals as the Bruins opened the contest with a 21-10 lead in the first quarter. Dean posted eight assists and 21 points, and made 4-of-6 from beyond the arc as UCLA attempted a season-high 22 3-pointers.
Coach Cori Close said she continues to challenge Dean in multiple ways.
“I really challenged (Dean) in terms of getting us better shots, having better awareness of who’s ‘hot,’ shot selection, those kind of things,” Close said. “Mostly I challenged her in terms of our emotional focus – that’s because I believe in her so much.”
The Bruins went on an 8-0 run in the second quarter, holding the Trojans scoreless for nearly four minutes. The streak was halted by USC forward Alissa Pili, whose 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting led the Trojan effort.
“I think (Pili) is a great player, credit to her,” said junior forward Michaela Onyenwere. “She’s really strong, she’s hard to get around… she uses her body well and uses that to her advantage.”
Onyenwere, UCLA’s leading scorer, tallied 13 of her 21 points in the first quarter, shooting 9-of-15 from the field in the contest.
Onyenwere’s frontcourt teammate ‒ junior forward Lauryn Miller ‒ added 11 points and matched her season-low of four rebounds just one week after posting her fourth double-double of the year against then-No. 12 Indiana.
Redshirt junior guard Natalie Chou played 27 minutes off the bench, contributing six points, including a 3-pointer during the Bruins’ 11-0 run in the third quarter that gave UCLA a 49-31 lead.
Freshman forward Brynn Masikewich saw the floor for the second time this season, scoring her first points as a Bruin on a layup in the fourth quarter to put UCLA up by 30.
UCLA will continue its Pac-12 schedule in 2020 at home Friday against Arizona State.
