Bruins, Utes play for a bigger cause than hoops

Head coaches and players from Utah and UCLA cherished the opportunity to take part in Play4Kay night, acknowledging the profound connection basketball has with the entire world

LOS ANGELES – With the Pac-12 Conference Tournament on the horizon, the UCLA women’s basketball team hosted Play4Kay night at the Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 23.

The game highlighted improving the lives of those who are battling cancer, encouraging those who are on their way to finding a cure, and overall raising money for research to assist the underserved.

UCLA scored the victory over Utah with a final score of 82-52.

On such an impactful night, the Bruins had themselves some tough competition. In this case, it would be the fierce Utah Utes. The Utes have had a great statistical season on the offensive side of the ball, yet it seemed the gameplan for limiting Utah’s shots worked, as the Bruins started the game off with a 12-0 run which led into the end of the first quarter.

During a crucial timeout, junior Utah guard Kennedy McQueen rallied her team, urging them to narrow the deficit with each basket. As the second quarter began, Utah’s relentless effort paid off, slicing the lead to just 10 points with a string of consecutive open shots from beyond the arc.

As UCLA saw this comeback on the horizon, they adjusted their gameplan and locked in on defense which was led by sophomore guard Londynn Jones who had a career-high points (23) and 3s made in a game (7).

UCLA head coach Cori Close gave credit to Jones for her efforts against the Utes.

“Londynn’s defense tonight was amazing, and all credit to her and all the extra effort she has been putting in,” Close said. “Her dedication to extra sessions and personal coaching with assistant coach Tasha Brown became evident as her hard work bore fruit in this pivotal game.”

As well as Jones’s big game, UCLA forward Lauren Betts had herself 14 points with three monstrous blocks. Sophomore guard Kiki Rice contributed 13 points and six offensive rebounds in the win. Charisma Osborne also achieved the assist of the game which was a rapid full-court pass to Angela Dugali? for a swift and stylish layup.

The blowout win against the Buffaloes wasn’t the only thing to excite the UCLA players. Rice’s recently released Jordan sneaker turned out to be a big deal and it lifted the mood of the Bruins before the game was played.

“I don’t know if the shoes gave us superpowers but it was a great experience to have finally have a personal pair for the game,” Jones said. “It was a surprise and I feel it gave the team an extra amount of confidence knowing the fact that we are as close as family.”

Rice’s shoes were described by Betts as “comfortable and versatile when having to shift in many directions on all the intense fastbreaks.”

The shoes may have been a part of the game but, Close wanted to acknowledge and give a tremendous amount of love and support to Utah head coach Lynne Roberts. Close stated that she was truly honored to play against her team in their matchup.

“I have so much respect for Lynne and I love playing against her team it will always be truly an honor,” Close said. “She is just a remarkable coach and I feel she has so much experience in helping players develop in so many ways off or on the court.”

Utah is also actively participating in the Kay Yow Cancer Fund by joining the Play4Kay National Free Throw Challenge. With every shot, it will make a serious impact on those battling cancer. Each team expressed these ideas by having the Utes go 15-17 on free throws while the Bruins went 9-13.

Roberts emphasized that her team took this game as seriously as possible when coming close to the end of the season and that they also felt extremely passionate out there on a PlayforKay night.

“We had a gameplan and UCLA outmatched us, yet I felt my girls knew what they did wrong tonight and are going to be ready for the quick turnaround in our next game,” Roberts said. “They also loved the passion for such a great cause and it may even lead to us having more impactful themes nights at our arena. Thanks, UCLA for all the positive feedback.”

Roberts also stated that her team will check film a lot moving on to the next game. The Utes star senior forward Alissa Pili found herself getting harassed by UCLA defenders all night, getting double-teamed for the majority of the game and being limited in her shotmaking.

Eventually, Pili would find a rhythm last in the game and it showed to her having scored a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Pili’s teammate, junior guard Kennady McQueen, stated that she felt “Pili was the main reason that their team kept positive when entering each quarter” and that her energy lifted up the team’s vibe when trying to score from every open look.

McQueen also highlighted her teammate junior guard Ines Vieira who played 40 minutes in the long and tiring game.

“She played her heart out tonight and she really kept the mentality that we all needed to step up to try and have a chance to come back in the game,” McQueen said. “Even if the win didn’t happen, keeping that attitude will only gain our ability to learn and capitalize on great opportunities in our next game.”

McQueen also contributed 11 points and delivered two electrifying assists, crucial in keeping the game tight throughout the first quarter.

Close appreciated the Utes for coming out and being a part of their monumental night and even highlighted that the free-throw challenge was just as equally as important as getting the win tonight.

“When something we love can connect with something that is so much bigger than the game of basketball, it connects with the world and is just purely phenomenal,” Close said. “So many people are affected by cancer and our team has even lost some of those mentors that helped us on our way we just want to let everyone know we have their back together as we overcome the battle against cancer.”