No. 3 UCLA women’s basketball is dominant in the South to remain unbeaten

During practice on Friday, UCLA women’s basketball coach Corey Close made it clear that he wants to see more from Angela Dugalic.

“You don’t use what you’ve got,” Close told reporters Friday.

Dugalic faces some of the best players in the country this week. Almost thinks he can play with them, but he needs Dogalic to play the same. With all the work Dugalic has put into her low post game over the offseason, she can’t settle for passing around the perimeter.

Almost won’t let her.

“I just want him to be all he can be,” Close said. “She was a beast in the low post there, and I want to hunt for her. I don’t want her to settle for playing on the sidelines when she has so many other tools in her toolbox that she doesn’t have access to.”

Close got that version of Dugalic in Sunday’s 88-37 rout of Southern at Pauley Pavilion. The third-ranked Bruins were in complete control from whistle to whistle, even starting a second-quarter shutout, and Dugalic led the way with 20 points, five rebounds and an assist. She shot eight from the floor for 15 with three rebounds.

It was pure dominance by UCLA. The Bruins shot 51% from the field while holding the Jaguars to 29%. They beat South by 30. They forced 13 turnovers, nine in the first half, and scored 28 of them. And on the offensive end, UCLA led South by nine with 24 assists.

Gabriela Jaquez added eight rebounds, six points and five assists. Her first basket, a layup after draining the paint in the second quarter, gave the senior guard 1,000 career points. Kiki Rice had 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Lauren Bates finished with 15 points and six rebounds.

Dugalic opened the scoring for UCLA with a midrange jumper followed by a fast break layup. She finished the first half with 12 points, tied for the team lead with freshman Lena Belek, who finished the game with 14 points.

Despite Dugalic’s strong start, Klose presented her with another challenge at halftime.

“I just want you to focus on playing the right basketball,” Band said. “What’s the defense doing? I didn’t think she was reading the defense. I thought she shot it well, and I thought she got some good rebounds, but I didn’t think she was in the flow that we’ve seen the last few days and our last few games.”

Close added that he thinks Dugalic is playing some of the best basketball of his career, and that he is constantly striving to raise his standard. It’s not about how many points Dugalic scores, it’s about her decision-making, her defense, her consistency.

The Bruins went on a 14-2 run over the final six minutes of the first quarter to take a 22-9 lead into the second quarter after holding Sweden (1-4) scoreless over the final three minutes. UCLA then exploded for a 27-0 run in the second quarter while holding the Jaguars scoreless for the entire period. It was the first time the Bruins had held an opponent scoreless for an entire quarter since Dec. 5, 2021 against San Jose State.

Still, the dam was not satisfied.

During the half hour, Close said she reminded the Bruins of what they wanted to accomplish. Klose wrote a list of “passion plays” or goals for each player for the second half.

UCLA guard Kiki Rice controls the ball in front of Southern forward Damia Porter during the first half of the Bruins’ victory Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.

(Ethan Soup/Associated Press)

That’s part of the mentality Close tries to instill in his players. They know that a 51-point win against an unranked Southern team doesn’t give them the look they need.

“The results are really a mess,” Close said, referring to legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban. “What are the processes we are committed to that will really get us to where we want to be?”

UCLA (6-0) will face No. 4 Texas in the Players’ Era Women’s Championship in Las Vegas on Wednesday, followed by No. 2 South Carolina or Duke thanks to a bye. The Bruins will then host No. 15 Tennessee on Nov. 30.