The Bruins faced a quick turnaround after suffering their first loss of the season in Wednesday’s first-round game. UCLA failed in a comeback attempt, falling 76–65 to No. 4 Texas. The Bruins trailed early and trailed by 20 at halftime. They trailed by as many as 23 points in the second half, but clawed their way back to within four points with three and a half minutes remaining.
The rally was sparked by point guards Kiki Rice (5-10) and Gianna Neepkens (6-0), who finished with 17 points each. At times UCLA was able to maneuver around the Longhorns’ defense, sparking comebacks, but the Bruins were overwhelmed by Texas for most of the game. Center Lauren Bates (6-7) was held in check and limited to eight points on just four shots.
UCLA’s outside shooting was also almost negligible. The Bruins took only 13 three attempts and made four (30.8%). They also committed uncharacteristic turnovers (20) and struggled to find any offensive rhythm late.
Unless UCLA completely collapses, those issues should be resolved by tipoff on Thursday evening.
Media expectations were high for Duke, which began the season ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll. The Blue Devils lost their opener to No. 16 Baylor 58–52 in Paris, then bounced back under head coach Kara Lawson with a 91–48 win over Holy Cross and an 83–32 win over Norfolk State. But Duke has dropped three of its last four, including an 83-66 loss to No. 2 South Carolina in Wednesday’s first round of the Players Era event.
Three-point shooting has not been in Duke’s favor. The Blue Devils ranked 117th nationally, hitting only 32.6% from deep. He shot a respectable 40% from three and 39.3% overall against South Carolina, but has found it difficult to establish a post presence.
Duke’s two tallest players are 6-4 and aren’t major parts of the rotation, making size an ongoing issue — especially against UCLA, which usually controls the paint, even during Wednesday’s loss.
Guard Taina Meier (5-9) leads Duke with 36 assists, which ranks 24th nationally. She has strong floor vision and can attack the lane. He is third on the team with averages of 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. Forward Toby Fournier (6-2) leads the Blue Devils with 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. He is aggressive in the paint and is a strong post defender as he leads Duke with 18 blocks, which ranks seventh in the country.
Duke can score, but it often struggles against taller teams – a challenge the Blue Devils may face against UCLA.
Despite Wednesday’s loss, UCLA has remained consistent, especially defensively. The Bruins rank 31st nationally in field-goal percentage defense (33.3%) and 31st in points allowed (53.3 per game).
Like Texas, Duke will look to attack early, which could be beneficial given UCLA’s tendency to start slow. But if the Bruins withstand the early pressure and respond accordingly, they can take control of the game early as well as set the tone for the upcoming matches.
Prediction
No. 3 UCLA Bruins 77
Duke Blue Devils 63
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