Preview: UCLA Hosts Purdue in Big Ten Women’s Basketball Showdown

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — The top-ranked UCLA Bruins, boasting one of the nation’s most dominant records, will host the Purdue Boilermakers in a Big Ten Conference women’s basketball matchup Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA (16-1, 5-0 Big Ten) has won nine consecutive games since its lone loss at Texas in November, including a commanding 97-67 victory over Maryland on Sunday. The Bruins have won their five conference games by an average margin of 28.2 points, showcasing a balanced and relentless attack.

Charlisse Leger-Walker leads UCLA, coming off a near triple-double with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists against Maryland. Gabriela Jaquez added 22 points in that win, while Angela Dugalić posted 12 points and eight rebounds.

Purdue (10-8, 2-4) arrives in Los Angeles seeking to rebound from a tough 83-57 road loss at Southern California. The Boilermakers have struggled for consistency in conference play, alternating wins and losses over their last six games.

Guard Tara Daye has been a bright spot for Purdue, averaging 16.2 points over her last five contests. She scored 21 points in the loss to USC and had 19 points in an overtime win over Washington on Jan. 11.

The Bruins’ stifling defense, which allows just 54.2 points per game in conference play, will challenge a Purdue offense averaging 68.8 points. UCLA also leads the Big Ten in scoring margin at +31.4 in league games.

This marks Purdue’s second consecutive game in Los Angeles after its loss to USC. UCLA continues a three-game homestand.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. PST Wednesday. UCLA’s next game is at Northwestern on Sunday. Purdue returns home to face Indiana on Jan. 25.