Preview: Rutgers Faces UCLA in Big Ten Women’s Basketball Showdown

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — The surging UCLA Bruins host the struggling Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a Big Ten women’s basketball matchup Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA (20-1, 9-0 Big Ten) enters on a 12-game winning streak and sits atop the conference standings. The Bruins are coming off a dominant 88-65 victory over then-Iowa on Sunday, showcasing one of the nation’s most potent offenses. Senior forward Angela Dugalić led the way with 22 points in that win and has averaged 12.8 points over her last six games. She is complemented by standouts Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts in a deep, balanced lineup.

Rutgers (9-13, 1-8) faces a steep challenge, having lost seven of its last eight games. The Scarlet Knights are reeling from a 39-71 loss at Southern California on Sunday, where they shot just 25% from the field. Guard Antonia Bates, a key player for Rutgers, logged 37 minutes and grabbed seven rebounds in that defeat but was held scoreless. Over her last seven games, Bates has averaged just 3.0 points, though she contributes defensively with rebounds and blocks.

The teams have followed divergent paths this season. UCLA’s average margin of victory in conference play is 30.1 points, while Rutgers has lost its eight Big Ten games by an average of 24.5 points. The Bruins’ lone loss came in non-conference play against top-ranked South Carolina in November.

For Rutgers to compete, it must find consistent scoring and slow UCLA’s transition game. The Bruins force over 18 turnovers per game. UCLA will look to exploit its significant advantages in size and depth to maintain its perfect conference record.

Following this game, UCLA travels to Michigan on Sunday. Rutgers returns home to host Minnesota on Feb. 8.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. PST Wednesday.