Rice's double-double helps No. 1 UCLA beat Michigan 86-70, complete sweep of 1st Big Ten homestand
UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) dribbles around Michigan forward Alyssa Crockett (20) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: AP/Eric Thayer
LOS ANGELES — 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.
UCLA guard Londynn Jones (3) drives to the basket against Michigan guards Mila Holloway (3) and Olivia Olson (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: AP/Eric Thayer
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.
