Kiki Rice Leads No. 1 UCLA to 70–41 Victory Over Creighton

SAN FRANCISCO – No. 1 UCLA (12-0) displayed a commanding performance to defeat Creighton 70–41 at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday night. The Bruins took control early and never looked back, outpacing the Bluejays in all phases of the game. The last time the two teams met, it was a close contest during the second round of the 2024 NCAA tournament when UCLA edged Creighton (9-3) by just four points.

“Creighton had our attention,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said. “I mean, they had us on the ropes in the second round of the NCAA tournament last year. We had to come back from being over ten down early in the third quarter, and so we did not come in here surprised at how good they are. So that means that our start, where we really executed our game plan and really had a chance to play great defense versus them, I’m really pleased with that. I told our team that we are elite at our preparation. I really don’t think there’s been a game that we didn’t come out as the more prepared team.”

UCLA’s dominance on the boards (59–26 rebounding edge) and stifling defense were the keys to victory. The Bruins capitalized on second-chance opportunities, converting 17 points compared to Creighton’s 4. Kiki Rice and Angela Dugalic led the way for UCLA in a performance that solidified their presence on both ends of the court.

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

• First Quarter: UCLA’s defense held Creighton to 1-of-13 shooting while the Bruins built a 26–4 lead, fueled by Rice’s sharp shooting.
• Second Quarter: Creighton managed to outscore UCLA 19–16, reducing the deficit slightly, but still trailed 42–23 at halftime.
• Third Quarter: UCLA extended its lead with a dominant 20–8 performance, led by Rice and Dugalic, to finish the quarter up 62–31.
• Fourth Quarter: Both teams slowed offensively in the final period, with UCLA scoring 8 points and Creighton adding 10.

Statistical Highlights

• Top Performers:
  • UCLA:
    • Kiki Rice: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3-of-4 from three-point range.
    • Angela Dugalic: 13 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks.
    • Gabriela Jaquez: 9 points, 5 rebounds.
  • Creighton:
    • Morgan Maly: 15 points, perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.
    • Kennedy Townsend: 10 points, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.
• Team Stats:
  • Shooting:
    • UCLA: 40.9% FG (27-of-66), 33.3% 3PT (7-of-21).
    • Creighton: 23.3% FG (14-of-60), 22.7% 3PT (5-of-22).
  • Rebounds:
    • UCLA: 59 total (20 offensive).
    • Creighton: 26 total (8 offensive).
  • Points in the Paint:
    • UCLA: 34.
    • Creighton: 14.