On Friday at 8:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks and Varsity Network radio, #2 Stanford women’s basketball will take on #8 UCLA on the road at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA is dubbing this their “Gold Rush” game. Stanford comes at 16-1 overall and 4-0 in the Pac-12 while UCLA comes in at 14-2 overall and 3-1 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: On Sunday, Stanford defeated Cal 60-56 on the road in Berkeley. Cameron Brink led the way for the Cardinal with 25 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Brink was named Pac-12 Player of the Week.
RECAP: #2 Stanford WBB faces tough test in narrow victory at Cal
On UCLA: The Bruins are off to a really strong start and are a perfect 8-0 at home. Like Stanford, they have a loss to South Carolina (64-73), though that came on the road. And then they also have a loss at Oregon State (77-72). They some quality wins over Tennessee (neutral site), at Oregon, and a regular season sweep over rival USC.
The Bruins are led by a backcourt consisting of senior Charisma Osborne (17.4 points & 6.2 rebounds) and freshman Kiki Rice (12.9 points & 4.6 rebounds). Neither of them shoots north of 30.0% from 3-point range, so they get most of their points by scoring inside the arc and at the foul line. Redshirt sophomore forward Emily Bessoir is the top post presence for this Bruins team, averaging 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
As a team, the Bruins are averaging 72.5 points per game on 40.6% shooting from the field, 28.9% shooting from 3-point range, and 75.9% shooting from the foul line. They average 42.4 rebounds, 15.0 assists, 8.9 steals, 4.7 blocks, and 14.5 turnovers per game. They also average a +9.8 rebound margin and a +2.4 turnover margin. Their opponents average 59.6 points per game on 36.7% shooting from the field, 30.2% shooting from 3-point range, and 72.6% shooting from the foul line.
Keys to the game: The first thing Stanford needs to do is feed the post. Cameron Brink went to work at Cal and should look to have another big outing tonight. I don’t think UCLA has an answer for her inside and Stanford should test their interior defense all night long.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is keep Osborne and Rice out of the paint and away from the foul line. If Stanford can force them to settle for jumpers and not get the kind of production they are used to inside, Stanford will be taking away a major part of their offense.
Finally, Stanford better prepare for an electric environment. Cal fans came out in full force last Sunday and they better prepare for UCLA fans to do the same. Stanford should come in with some confidence knowing they just won in an environment like this.
Prediction: UCLA has a real shot to win this game. They’re top ten and they’re at home. They should have a pretty fired up crowd. That said, Stanford is the number two team in the nation for a reason. I think they’ll rise to the occasion once again, but I think it’ll be a close game. Stanford 70 UCLA 64 is how I see this one playing out.
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