Southern put up a good effort against UCLA at the Pauley Pavilion. The Jaguars' defensive effort forced the Bruins into mistakes and kept the game within close range for a while. Their valiant effort, however, proved to not be enough as the overall No. 1 team of the NCAA tournament made an early statement in their 84-46 victory.
In terms of a 1-16 matchup, coach Cori Close saw a good first test for her group that they passed. Despite losing the turnover battle by half at one point, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year displayed a well-oiled offense. A large deficit in this area can often lead to disaster. Southern ended up forcing more turnovers as UCLA gave the ball away 17 times, to Southern's 13. As a result, the Bruins executed in the halfcourt for the rest of their possessions.
When the ball is flying around and finding open shooters, teammates can feed off the energy. In something of an anomaly, only three field goals ended up being unassisted for UCLA. In other words, the 23 assists directly led to most of the 26 made field goals. A lot of teams can't play well in the half-court setting due to poor off-ball movement.
This fear isn't present under coach Close, however, with hustle to get open frequently being rewarded with a touch. Especially with Kiki Rice running the show, the junior does an excellent job of initiating the offense. Her seven assists on the day further illustrate her traditional point guard approach to the game. Entering into March Madness, the PG has averaged 7.25 assists over her last four matchups for UCLA. With her dishing at this rate, it makes everything else fall into place and easier for her teammates.
UCLA star gives strong opening performance
A lot of attention will always be on Lauren Betts. Growing up in Spain for much of her childhood, the center emulates a closer FIBA-style frontcourt style compared to many at her position. She is certainly a capable scorer, but Betts is very good at catching the pass and releasing it quickly again to someone on the outside.
When a team's best player looks to find a teammate in a better position more often than not, it is an aspect that others pick up on. This team-first approach often translates into fellow Bruins making the extra cut to get open and providing better spacing for everyone on the court.
While averaging 19.2 points per game, the recently named All-American nearly proves three dimes per contest as well. Against Southern, Betts picked up four assists, 14 points, and six rebounds.
On a team with a lot of capable scorers, this pass-first mindset is part of why, despite protests, UCLA was selected as the top No. 1 seed during this year's tournament. While the likes of South Carolina, TCU, Texas, and/or USC are likely to wait for the Bruins toward the finish line, it's clear that this balanced offense will be tough for any team in the nation to slow down, let alone stop.
Coach Close will have a quick turnaround as she prepares her group for their next game against Richmond. If they clean up the sloppy giveaways and continue finding open shooters, opposing squads will find a legitimate Final Four contender in UCLA in their way.