LBSU freshman guard Brynna Pukis faces off against UCLA senior guard Gabriela Jaquez. The Beach struggled against the Bruins’ defense, shooting 17-52 from the field. Photo courtesy of Kat Acosta | LBSU Athletics.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Long Beach State women’s basketball team (0-10) continued the worst start to a season in school history, suffering its 10th consecutive loss, falling to No. 4 UCLA (11-1) 106-44 on Saturday, Dec. 20, at Pauley Pavilion.
“I think we’ve gotten better every game, even though this was a tough loss. In terms of what the scoreboard reads, I saw our team compete together, and that was one of the things that we have not been doing,” LBSU head coach Amy Wright said.
UCLA senior guard Gabriela Jaquez opened the game with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, foreshadowing her 12-point first quarter on a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc.
In just three and a half minutes of play, Jaquez knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing for her ninth point and third 3-pointer, giving the Bruins a 12-4 lead they would never get close to giving up.
LBSU sophomore guard JaQuoia Jones-Brown hit a deep jumper just before the shot clock buzzer to end a 9-0 UCLA run as LBSU trailed 21-7, with six of their seven points coming from Jones-Brown.
LBSU sophomore guard JaQuoia Jones-Brown was limited to just 10 points during Saturday’s matchup against No. 4 UCLA. Photo courtesy of Kat Acosta | LBSU Athletics.
Coming off a 25-point performance in her previous game, Jones-Brown was the only member of LBSU to find offensive success.
She scored The Beach’s following four points, finishing the first quarter with 10 of the team’s 11 points, as no other LBSU player made a field goal, as they trailed 29-11.
Jones-Brown reflected on her first quarter success.
“I think it was just me moving and getting to the spots where I know I can shoot the ball. Those are my spots, some things I work on, so that was just what was working for me,” Jones-Brown said.
Jaquez picked up where she left off, opening the second quarter with a driving layup. The Beach freshman forward Rosie Akot and sophomore forward Judit Olivia Fernandez also added points, but The Beach still trailed the Bruins, 35-15.
The Betts sisters for UCLA made their presence felt on both ends of the court. Senior center Lauren Betts and freshman forward Sienna Betts combined for two blocks, and Sienna found Lauren open at the top of the key for a jumper to put the Bruins ahead, 44-18.
The pair combined for 31 points, with Lauren—who is projected to be a top-five pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft—leading the way. Wright said she “knew it was coming” from Lauren today.
LBSU sophomore guard Judit Olivia Fernandez goes up for a shot. LBSU scored just 20 points in the paint compared to UCLA’s 56 during Saturday’s contest. Photo courtesy of Kat Acosta | LBSU Athletics.
UCLA went on a 20-5 run to close out the half, leading LBSU 57-23, with 11 turnovers, and the size mismatch proved too much for The Beach to handle.
Back-to-back steals by UCLA senior guard Kiki Rice started a 4-0 run for the Bruins before a Lauren Betts layup put UCLA ahead by 40 in the third quarter, 66-26.
The deficit was too much for The Beach to overcome, as Jones-Brown went scoreless after the first quarter. She finished with 10 points, still leading LBSU in scoring in the 106-44 defeat.
LBSU looks to claim its first win of the season on Monday, Dec. 22, against Toledo at home. Wright believes her team’s confidence will come with the wins.
Junior Contreras is a senior at California State University, Long Beach, majoring in journalism with a minor in communications. Beginning as a video assistant, Junior is a sports assistant of the Long Beach Current this year. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in sports journalism.