The top-ranked UCLA Bruins were able to hold off the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday 73-62, even with star guard Kiki Rice having an off shooting game.
Rice went just 3-13 from the field but was able to help UCLA in other ways, getting to the free throw line eight times and tallying seven rebounds and seven assists with two steals. The junior was matched up with Indiana’s Chloe Moore-McNeil, who’s made the Big Ten Defensive Team the previous two seasons with the Hoosiers.
“She’s a great defender,” Rice said of Moore-McNeil. “Definitely one of the better ones that I’ve faced this season. I think her length and her ability to really move on the perimeter and get through screens and all that was definitely a tough matchup.”
Rice still ended with 12 points in Saturday’s game, but it was her first time since November she shot below 50% from the field.
“Watch the film and learn from it.” Rice said.
Rice is matching her career high in points per game with 13.2 while shooting a career best 56.5% from the field.
Tuesday should be a better matchup for the Bruins’ offense, facing Purdue, which has the No. 17 scoring defense in the Big Ten. That is a sharp contrast with playing the conference’s No. 2 scoring defense in Indiana. UCLA will tip off against the Boilermakers on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Pacific time. The game will be aired on the Big Ten Network.