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UCLA Women’s Basketball Dominates In Exhibition

By Mike Regalado

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The UCLA Women’s Basketball team slaughtered Vanguard 113-42 this past Halloween weekend as they dominated on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball behind some experience and youth.

What was to be expected from the UCLA Women’s basketball team (last season’s WNIT Champions) was not exactly known, but we had a sense that they were going to be good coming off a six-game win streak to finish the 2014-15 season.

RELATED: UCLA Women’s Basketball Season Preview

On Sunday, we found out that they are picking up where they left off as the Bruins destroyed Vanguard 113-42 in an exhibition game at Pauley Pavilion. This game was close for the first five minutes before the Bruins kicked it into high gear with senior Nirra Fields leading the charge.

Dec 21, 2014; Uncasville, CT, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Jordin Canada (3) and guard Nirra Fields (21) return up court against the Connecticut Huskies during the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena. UConn defeated UCLA 86-50. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Fields had 12 points in the first period alone on her way to a game-high 24. Fields, who lead most statistical categories last season, could not be stopped as she single-handedly shot the Bruins into an early first period lead. But Fields was not alone. In all, six Bruins scored in double figures whilst 10 players scored in all.

Not only was this a chance for the UCLA Women’s Basketball team to get the season off to a good start, but it also gave some of the younger players some time to shine and let me tell you, the freshman and sophomores looked very good.

One in particular is sophomore starter Jordin Canada (last season’s second leading scorer who tallied a game-high 31 points in the WNIT Championship Game) who matched Fields’ field-goal makes and attempts going 8 for 14 and scoring 20 points against Vanguard. Canada also added 4 assist, 2 rebounds and 6 steals.

One of the biggest concerns about the UCLA Women’s basketball team going into the season was how they would fill the void in the front court with the graduation of Corinne Costa and Luiana Livulo who anchored the Bruins under the basket.

Well, if Sunday’s game was any indication, the Bruins should be more than okay with senior Kacy Swain and sophomore Monique Billings playing the forward spots.

Billings in particular was a machine as she attacked the basket on both ends of the floor. Billings finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds, 4 of which were on the offensive glass. If she was not spinning around her opposition for the layup, she was plowing through them in an attempt to get rebounds.

By halftime, UCLA was up 65-25 on Vanguard. The Bruins seemed to let up off the gas on the offensive side in the 3rd and 4th periods scoring only 25 and 23 points, respectively (as opposed to 35 and 30 in the first two periods), though they did not let up on the defensive side.

UCLA had only allowed 4 Vanguard points in the 3rd period with an array of defensive pressure as they switched up man and zone defenses, suffocated Vanguard with full-court presses and was generally aggressive defending their basket.

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The Bruins had gotten into foul trouble early, though their depth helped them sail through those waters. UCLA was not giving up any ticky-tack fouls and was genuinely very aggressive which is something we should see a lot of this year.

Overall, it was a spectacular performance to start the year and we here at Go Joe Bruin are excited about the team Head Coach Cori Close is presenting.

UCLA Women’s Basketball officially gets their season going on Friday, November 13 against St. John’s at Pauley Pavilion in a double-header with the men’s team. I suggest you check them out. Go Bruins!