Rice’s double-double helps No. 1 UCLA beat Michigan 86-70, complete sweep of 1st Big Ten homestand

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kiki Rice scored 16 points to lead five players in double figures and No. 1 UCLA defeated 24th-ranked Michigan 86-70 on Wednesday to complete a sweep of its first Big Ten homestand.

Rice had 10 assists and Lauren Betts had 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Bruins (14-0, 3-0 Big Ten), who led the entire game.

Syla Swords led the Wolverines with a career-high 30 points in her return. The standout freshman from Canada didn’t play in a loss at No. 4 USC because of a lower left leg injury she sustained on Dec. 20 against Akron.

Londynn Jones added 13 points, hitting three of her four 3-pointers in the fourth for the Bruins

Takeaways

Michigan: The Wolverines are 0-4 against ranked teams this season. Swords scored a then-career-best 27 in a loss to then-No. 1 South Carolina. Their other losses were to then-No. 10 Oklahoma and a sweep by the ranked Los Angeles teams.

UCLA: The Bruins saw their 13-point lead cut nearly in half in the fourth. But they responded with key baskets by Angela Dugalic and Jones and some big defensive stops over the final 5 1/2 minutes that stretched their lead to 20 points.

Key moment

Down by 15, the Wolverines outscored UCLA 13-5 to end the third quarter, with five different players contributing including Swords with four. In the spurt, Michigan got within six before Janiah Barker’s three-point play helped keep the Bruins ahead 57-50 going into the fourth.

Key stat

UCLA controlled the boards, 37-32, and were better in the paint (48-34) and their bench outscored Michigan’s reserves 27-4. The Bruins had 29 assists on 35 made baskets.

Up next

Michigan hosts No. 10 Ohio State on Jan. 8. UCLA visits Indiana on Saturday to open a two-game Midwest trip.

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By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer