Gabriela Jaquez scores 29 points as No. 3 UCLA defeats No. 14 Tennessee
It may seem hard to imagine, looking at the pure shot and true form that gives Gabriela Jaquez such consistent success beyond the three-point arc.
But there was a time when Jaquez’s long-range shooting was the part of her game that made UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close hesitant to offer a scholarship.
Eager to prove herself, Jaquez worked tirelessly at a park during the pandemic, getting up one after the other. She joined a club team based in Oakland, flying north twice a month for weekend practices.
Fortunately she held on.
Jaquez earned that scholarship and is fully blossoming in his senior season, his all-around brilliance propelling the No. 3 Bruins to a 99-77 victory over No. 14 Tennessee Sunday afternoon in front of a small but spirited crowd at Pauley Pavilion.
Jaquez scored 19 of his 29 points in the first half, leading his team to a 10-point advantage that grew to as many as 23 points in the second half. Showing her continued emergence as a down-and-out shooter, Jaquez made 10 of 14 shots, including five of six three-pointers, and is now shooting a career-high 48.6 percent from beyond the arc this season. This represents an increase from 34.8% as a junior and 24.4% as a sophomore.
Beyond all the work she’s done with coaches and trainers, Jaquez said, a change over the summer sparked her recent success.
“Something just clicked in my head, like where I want my shooting pocket to be and how I want it to feel,” Jaquez said, “and I think that’s the difference.”
His three-pointer from a corner late in the third quarter pushed UCLA (8-1) into a 71-53 lead and drew roars after Jaquez maintained form on his follow-up as the Volunteers (5-2) called a timeout in a vain attempt to stop the Bruins’ momentum.
Tennessee momentarily got within 10 points early in the fourth quarter before UCLA scored the next eight points, with Jaquez contributing with a layup for Euro in transition. She left with 2½ minutes to receive a standing ovation.
“She’s such an underrated player and she makes things happen. She’s always moving,” Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell said. “You can’t guard her and take a second from her, otherwise she’ll capitalize.”
Even surrounded by so much talent, Jaquez could make a strong case for being UCLA’s best player so far this season. She does much more than score, fighting for rebounds, throwing unselfish passes and stabilizing her teammates with her presence.
“She just finds aggressive ways to contribute and make winning plays,” Close said. “And the first year it looked like cutting and running the fast break and playing a lot of four for us and doing the dirty work, and then every year we saw her add to her toolbox.”
Jaquez had plenty of help to help the Bruins earn a victory that prompted Caldwell to call UCLA “Ready for the Final Four.” Point guard Kiki Rice contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds, shooting guard Gianna Kneepkens scored 19 points and point guard Charlisse Leger-Walker added seven points and 11 assists. Adding an infusion of energy off the bench, forward Angela Dugalic made six of seven shots en route to 14 points.
Wearing a white sleeve on her injured left arm, Bruins center Lauren Betts didn’t take long to make an impact in her return from a one-game absence. On the game’s opening possession, Betts received a pass, took a dribble and spun toward the bank in a jump hook for the first basket.
Betts finished with seven points, four rebounds and two blocks.
Tennessee was led by forward Janiah Barker, the UCLA transfer who kept things close with a flurry of first-half baskets on the same day she received her Final Four ring and a note of gratitude from Close. Barker, however, did not regard Close as warmly and refused to shake his hand in the post-match handshake line. But Barker couldn’t maintain his early pace and finished with 25 points for the Volunteers, who shot 40.8 percent to the Bruins’ 58.5 percent. UCLA also made 10 of 17 three-pointers (58.8%).
