UCLA coach Cori Close challenged her Bruins to remember the style of play that helped them become the No. 1 ranked team in the country. “We wanted to be the pretty team instead of the gritty team,” Close said after her team’s uneven performance during a 73-62 win over Washington.
It was a call to action for the Bruins (10-0), who responded in dominant fashion, securing a decisive 102-51 win over Long Beach State (5-4) at the Walter Pyramid on Saturday. UCLA forced 26 turnovers and recorded 14 steals, converting those takeaways into 34 points. The Bruins also dominated the boards, out-rebounding Long Beach State 51-22.
With the win, Close became the all-time winningest coach in program history, earning her 297th victory to surpass Billie Moore (296-181). Early on, the Bruins played with a heightened intensity, diving on the floor for loose balls and applying relentless full-court defensive pressure. Long Beach State struggled to find answers offensively and was thoroughly outmatched, scoring its fewest points in a game this season.
UCLA center Lauren Betts, who had a seven-inch height advantage over Long Beach State’s frontcourt, recorded her seventh double-double of the season, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Angela Dugalic delivered a near-perfect performance and career high in points to lead UCLA, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Dugalic was efficient, scoring both in the paint and from beyond the arc.
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