It’s true that the No. 1-ranked UCLA Bruins play in a loaded Big Ten Conference that’s littered with title contenders. However, UCLA women’s basketball won’t have to face one of those teams on Tuesday when the Bruins meet 7-7 Purdue on the road at Mackey Arena.
Purdue is one of four Big Ten schools still searching for a first conference win this season. The Boilermakers are 0-3 with losses to Maryland, Iowa and Michigan State. All three of those schools are ranked in the top 25, but they’re not quite the 15-0 Bruins.
It is still early in the conference season, but currently UCLA is averaging 80.8 points per game in the Big Ten, second-best behind only Ohio State, while Purdue is 13th at 63.7 points per game. Purdue’s defense ranks even worse, having the No. 17 scoring defense thus far in conference play, allowing 79.67 points per game.
One of the Boilermakers’ strengths is their 3-point shooting, having shot above 40% from three in Big Ten action on 19 attempts per game. Their strength will be tested by one of the Bruins’ strong points. UCLA has held opponents to 24.7% shooting from three in its first year in the Big Ten, allowing just five makes per game.
A matchup to watch in Tuesday’s game is how Purdue’s freshman forward Lana McCarthy holds up against UCLA’s Lauren Betts. Betts is one of college basketball’s most dominant interior forces. While the 6’4” McCarthy has enjoyed a good start to her collegiate career, slowing down Betts will be a whole other challenge for her and Purdue.