World News – USA – Regis Jesuit grad Fran Belibi Dunks, Stanford senior outlived UCLA 61-49

Francesca Belibi saw the open space and no defenders in front of her. Teammate Anna Wilson told her she was good to go, so Belibi stormed the paint and dipped in, which got her Stanford teammates excited.

« I went crazy, » said newbie Cameron Brink. “I had to remind myself that I had to defend myself. She brings so much energy to us and that was a great moment. ”

Belibi finished the race with 15 points and seven rebounds and helped No. 1 Stanford survives their closest game of the season to beat UCLA 61-49 in 10th place on Monday and remains undefeated.

The Cardinal led by five points when Belibi dived early in the fourth quarter, a week after becoming the first woman to do so in a college game since former Baylor star Brittney Griner in 2013.

« I definitely wasn’t thinking about time and score, » said Belibi. “If I had remembered, I would have shot a layup and made sure we got the points. ”

Cardinal trainer Tara VanDerveer said: “I’m glad she made it because we needed this basket. Gives our team a lot of energy and it’s exciting for the fans to watch. ”

Brink added 10 points and nine rebounds for the cardinal (7-0, 4-0 Pac-12). Kiana Williams had 10 points and was one of four Stanford players with four assists.

Stanford passed their first six opponents and won with a whopping 48. 2 points per game with an average of 93 points. 2 points.

But the Cardinal was tested against the Bruins, who were one point ahead in the second quarter, six points behind in the third, and only fell double-digit late in the fourth when Stanford left UCLA 18-12.

« We were within range for most of the game, » said UCLA’s Michaela Onyenwere. « I’m proud of our fight, but I know we can learn so much from this game. ”

Onyenwere had 19 points and seven rebounds and Emily Bessoir, a newcomer from Germany, added 15 points for the Bruins (5-2, 3-2). . They only shot 27% off the ground and were 6 out of 28 from 3 point range.

“Some of these 3s were not 3s in the rhythm that we create as a team. They were more panic 3s, ”said UCLA coach Cori Close.

UCLA finished in fourth place 47-43 with a 3-pointer from Lindsey Corsaro. Williams made 1 of 2 free throws before Brink scored six straight points to extend Stanford’s lead to 54-45.

In the second quarter, the Bruins defeated the Cardinal 14-4, including six from Onyenware, and took the lead 26-25. The cardinal regrouped and scored six points in a row to lead 31-26 at halftime.

« We played pretty well for a long time, » said Bessoir. “We just have to fix our mistakes. ”

Stanford: The traveling cardinal is returning to Northern California but not home after having traveled an important distance. VanDereer became the most successful coach in women’s basketball last Tuesday, overtaking the late Pat Summitt with her 1. 099. victory. She got two more wins in Los Angeles. The team has kept their first seven opponents 40% field goalscoring or worse, while four games have either been postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

UCLA: The Bruins returned to the top 10 on Monday. Her only losses so far have been against ranked teams, including three points to the No.. 7 Arizona.

UCLA has added some depth to their bench, and the newcomers never complain of a lack of game time. Two stuffed bears sit in the last row with mini basketballs between their legs. They wear passports around their necks and black masks. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, fans, cheerleaders or mascots Joe and Josie Bruin are not allowed in the Pauley Pavilion. « We need all the bodies we can get, » said Onyenwere. The Bruins only have seven players available; others are stuck abroad because of U. S.. . Government travel restrictions related to COVID-19. The bears were intended as a toy donation but were deemed unacceptable as they weren’t bagged, Onyenwere said.

Both teams played their last game of the year. The cardinal has five days off and spends the Christmas vacation at a hotel outside of Santa Clara County that has banned contact sports. The Bruins are also taking days off, and some players’ family members can see them after a COVID-19 test. “We weren’t allowed to leave town or go home. I can’t even explain all of the protocols that helped make this a safe environment, ”said Close. “You need a mental break. It was really difficult. ”

University of California, Los Angeles, Pacific-12 Conference, UCLA Bruins Women’s Basketball, Stanford University, Basketball, Michaela Onyenwere