LAS VEGAS — Gabriela Jaquez scored 23 points and UCLA defeated Duke in the third-place game of the women’s Players Era Championship.
Handed their first loss this season the night before, 76-65 by second-ranked South Carolina, the Bruins came out red-hot even without star center Lauren Betts, who injured her left arm Wednesday.
UCLA (7-1) led 30-7 after shooting 60% (12 of 20) from the field in the first quarter, including 5 for 7 on 3-pointers. The Bruins also did a good job at the defensive end, forcing the Blue Devils (3-5) to commit six turnovers.
The Bruins shot 46.9% in the first half and took a 43-25 lead into halftime. Duke was 9 of 32 (28.1%) from the floor in the first 20 minutes.
Five players scored in double figures for UCLA. Charlisse Leger-Walker finished with 20 points, six assists and five rebounds. Kiki Rice had 17 points and six rebounds. Gianna Kneepkens added 13 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Angela Dugalic had 12 points and eight boards.
UCLA shot a season-high 59.1% from 3-point range, hitting 13 of 22 from beyond the arc.
The Blue Devils were led by Ashlon Jackson, who had 18 points. Toby Fournier posted her second double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Delaney Thomas scored 10.
Duke went 22 of 65 from the floor (33.8%) in its second-worst shooting performance this season.
No. 4 Texas edged No. 2 South Carolina 66-64 in the championship game earlier Thursday.
Betts’ return unclear
UCLA coach Cori Close was uncertain how long the Bruins might be without Betts, who sat out Thursday’s game with a left arm injury. One night earlier, Texas’ Madison Booker stripped the ball from Betts during a battle for possession and the two fell awkwardly. Betts’ left arm buckled beneath Booker, and the UCLA star briefly exited the game and went straight to the locker room.
Betts returned to the court but finished with a season-low eight points for the third-ranked Bruins.
“Believe me, it wasn’t the news I wanted,” Close said about hearing from her medical staff that the best thing was to rest Betts against Duke. “We were trying to test some things to see if we thought she could go, and our medical staff was just like, ‘No, it’s not wise.’”
Betts is averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds through seven games this season.
Close said she was unsure if Betts will be available for Sunday’s showdown with No. 14 Tennessee at Pauley Pavilion.
“We did get some positive [news] on our first details … but we’re going to have to get imaging when we get back and do things like that. So I don’t know for sure,” Close said.
The Bruins are already playing without Timea Gardiner, who is dealing with a knee injury, and Betts’ younger sister, Sienna, who is day-to-day after injuring her lower left leg in a scrimmage in mid-October.
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