This post was updated Jan. 20 at 9:56 p.m.

With a 15-point lead cut to only five, some teams might continue to spiral until the entire lead disappears.

Despite facing this problem in both the second and third quarters, the Bruins managed to maintain their lead on both occasions, never letting the Bears get any closer to victory.

No. 1 UCLA women’s basketball (18-0, 6-0 Big Ten) defeated No. 25 Baylor (16-4, 6-1 Big 12) 72-57 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The game was the opening match of the inaugural Coretta Scott King Classic, a doubleheader organized to honor the legacy of Mrs. King on her husband’s birthday.

“On MLK day,” said junior guard Gabriela Jaquez. “I think it’s an important time where we can reflect and remember all the things the King family has done”.

To open their final non-conference contest of the year, the Bruins lept out to a 17-2 lead, making seven of their first nine attempts. 

Jaquez spearheaded the way for the squad during the run with three layups in the first three minutes. Jaquez ultimately accumulated 11 points on 5-8 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the team.

“Passion plays,” said coach Cori Close. “It’s what makes us go, it’s all the things that don’t show up in the stat sheet. I thought it was so evident, right off the tip, Gabs (Jaquez) was ready to do the dirty work, she set the tone for us to play grittier.”

The Bruins wouldn’t see another field goal fall for nearly 6 1/2 minutes after their 17th point fell, missing seven straight shots while the Bears brought their deficit to 10 as the Bruins led 19-9 at the end of the first quarter. 

Baylor outscored UCLA 20-18 in the second quarter, forcing seven turnovers while amassing zero themselves. Nineteen of Baylor’s 29 first-half points came off turnovers, helping it make up for a 25% shooting clip that dwarfed UCLA’s number by 21%.

The Bruins wound up with 18 turnovers in the game, three higher than their season average of 15.

Part of what kept the Bears’ shooting percentage down was junior center Lauren Betts, who racked up four first-half blocks, limiting the Bears to only 10 points in the paint. Betts would amass nine blocks across the game – a career best – while adding 24 points and nine rebounds.

“Don’t let the ball go in the basket,” Betts said. “That’s really it, just doing everything I can to help the team get stops, at the end of the day that’s my whole mentality.”

The Bruins’ defense reestablished itself in the third quarter as it held the Bears to only 11 points. The Bears’ 57 points in the game were the least scored by the squad this season, as its three top scorers – who average a combined 40 points per game – amassed only 15.

The UCLA offense endured other difficulties beyond turnovers during the game, particularly from beyond the arc. The Bruins converted only four of 19 attempts from 3-point land, which included a 1-10 combined effort by junior guard Londynn Jones and junior forward Timea Gardner. 

Junior guard Kiki Rice converted two of the four conversions herself, making two of three attempts from deep. Rice wound up with 15 points on a cumulative five-of-seven shooting on the day while adding a team-leading three assists.

After stretching their lead to 12 at the end of the third quarter, the Bruins extended their lead further in the fourth, keeping their lead beyond 10 for the entirety of the quarter after never stretching it beyond 10 from the middle of the first quarter to the end of the third. 

With the win, the Bruins extended their record unbeaten streak to 18, a figure which includes four wins against ranked opponents. 

UCLA will conclude its East Coast road trip with contests against Rutgers and No. 8 Maryland on Thursday and Sunday, respectively. 

“Losing back-to-back in the Sweet 16 is sickening to me,” Jaquez said. “It takes more than just being talented. It’s all about the toughness, the hard work, all the little things.”