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Nebraska Women's Basketball No Match for No. 1 UCLA

The Huskers fall in their first-ever conference game against the Bruins.

Kaleb Henry

Nebraska head coach Amy Williams during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion.
Nebraska head coach Amy Williams during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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In the first-ever conference game between Nebraska women's basketball and UCLA, it was all Bruins.

No. 1 UCLA handled Nebraska, 91-54, in Los Angeles. The Bruins remain undefeated on the year while the Huskers fall to 10-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten.

UCLA forward Angela Dugalic knocks the ball away from Nebraska guard Logan Nissley during the first quarter.
UCLA forward Angela Dugalic knocks the ball away from Nebraska guard Logan Nissley during the first quarter. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

NU hung around early, getting a steal on the opening possession and turning that into a Logan Nissley 3. The Huskers kept the deficit to single digits, putting together a run in the second quarter to retake the lead by a single point.

But UCLA used a 12-0 run to push the lead to 11. In the third quarter, the Bruins shot 66.7% to just 26.7% for the Huskers as the lead ballooned to 27 points before the 37-point difference at the end of the game.

UCLA shot 55.9% for the game, including 4-of-17 from 3. Nebraska made 33.3% of its shots, including 3-of-19 3s.

Nebraska forward Petra Bozan battles UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (left and guard Kiki Rice for a rebound during the first
Nebraska forward Petra Bozan battles UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (left and guard Kiki Rice for a rebound during the first quarter. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

At the free throw line, the Bruins made 21-of-28 attempts while the Huskers made just 13-of-22. UCLA also held a massive advantage on the glass, outrebounding Nebraska 48-18.

Neither team was especially good at holding onto the ball. Nebraska committed 19 turnovers while UCLA committed 26.

Amiah Hargrove was the only Husker to score in double figures, tallying 12 points. Callin Hake was close with nine points.

Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Allison Weidner (3) drives to the basket as UCLA Bruins guard Gabriela Jaquez (11).
Nebraska guard Allison Weidner drives to the basket during the first half. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Nebraska will stay in LA for a few more days to take on No. 4 USC Wednesday afternoon. That game is set for a 2 p.m. CST tip on the Big Ten Network.

Box score

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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