UCLA women roll to 67-45 win over Sacramento State
UCLA head coach Cori Close instructs her players in the first half of a first-round college basketball game against Sacramento State in the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/Kyusung Gong
LOS ANGELES — Kiki Rice had 15 points, Emily Bessoir added 14 and fourth-seeded UCLA rolled to a 67-45 victory over No. 13 seed Sacramento State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
Charisma Osborne had 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for the Bruins (26-9), who will face fifth-seeded Oklahoma on Monday with the winner advancing to the Greenville 1 Regional.
Isnelle Natabou had 16 points and eight rebounds for Sacramento State (25-8). Kahlaijah Dean scored 11 points, but was 3 of 19 from the field.
UCLA jumped out to a 16-2 lead midway through the first quarter on the strength of a 14-0 run. Rice had seven points in the first four minutes and 10 at the end of the first quarter, including a 3-pointer with 2:40 remaining that extended the Bruins' advantage to 23-6.
UCLA also had a 17-point lead at halftime and was up by as many as 24 late in the fourth quarter.
Neither team shot well: UCLA was 29 of 70 while Sacramento State went 17 for 50. The Bruins did outrebound the Hornets by 15 and had a 34-24 edge in points in the paint.
BIG PICTURE
Sacramento State guard Kahlaijah Dean (0) drives toward the basket past UCLA guard Londynn Jones during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the women's NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/Kyusung Gong
Sacramento State: The Hornets made their first tournament appearance just two years after going 3-22. They won the Big Sky Tournament after finishing in a three-way tie for the regular-season crown.
UCLA: The Bruins have won all seven first-round games in Cori Close's 12 seasons as coach. They are looking to get to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
UP NEXT
It will be the first meeting between UCLA and Oklahoma since November 2013. They faced each other in the second round of the tournament in 2013, with the Sooners winning 85-72.
