Undefeated UCLA faces 20-1 Ohio State as conference play heats up
Undefeated UCLA faces 20-1 Ohio State as conference play heats up
Two of the top teams in the Big Ten will face each other Wednesday as the No. 1 UCLA Bruins host the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes in Los Angeles.
The Bruins (21-0, 9-0) are the last undefeated team in the nation, and have jumped out to the best start in program history. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes’ 20-1 record is their best start since the 2011-12 season.
At 9-1 in the conference standings, Ohio State is tied for second with No. 7 USC (21-2 overall), entering this critical stretch in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes will face the Trojans on Saturday, and the Bruins will face them on Feb. 13.
Here is what you need to know about Wednesday’s matchup between UCLA and Ohio State.
Where to watch No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 8 Ohio State
When: Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 9:30 p.m. ET
Where: Pauley Pavilion — Los Angeles
TV: Peacock
Streaming: fubo (follow for free)
Follow: CBS Sports app
Last meeting
Ohio State leads its all-time series against UCLA, 5-4. Their last meeting was last December in Columbus, and the Bruins won 77-71. Lauren Betts, who was a sophomore back then, is the top UCLA returner from that game. She registered 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. Kiki Rice was another key contributor still on the roster, registering 15 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks in that win.
Ohio State’s Taylor Thierry, now a senior, dropped 20 points. Cotie McMahon was a sophomore back then and put up seven points. She will likely play a bigger role this time around as she has been the team’s leading scorer this season.
UCLA remains undefeated
The Bruins have been ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll for 11 consecutive weeks, and this week they are an unanimous selection. Their biggest win was against then-No. 1 South Carolina in November.
Cori Close’s roster has size and players who can contribute on both ends of the court. They rank high in several major categories, including No. 1 in the nation in rebounding margin (15.8), No. 4 in assists per game (21.4) and No. 4 in scoring margin (27.3).
Betts — one of the strongest candidates for national Player of the Year — leads the team with 20.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Rice is averaging 13.2 points while registering a team-best 79 assists so far. Gabriela Jaquez also averages double figures with 10.2 points per game.
Ohio State is deep
Kevin McGuff’s team is No. 11 in scoring margin (22.7) with one of its biggest strengths being depth. All five starters are averaging double figures, led by McMahon with 16.5 points per game. Jaloni Cambridge and Chance Gray are contributing 14.6 and 14.5 points per contest, respectively.
The Buckeyes were one of the last undefeated teams in the country until they were narrowly upset by Penn State, 62-59, on Jan. 19. The fourth quarter was rough for both teams as they each went four minutes without scoring a point.
However, Ohio State bounced back with strong wins against Maryland and Nebraska. Their most recent with was a 66-56 victory against Washington.
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