LOS ANGELES — Kiki Rice led the way with 16 points as part of a balanced scoring effort, guiding the top-ranked UCLA Bruins to an 86-70 victory over the 24th-ranked Michigan Wolverines on Wednesday. This win allowed UCLA to complete a successful sweep of its initial Big Ten homestand.

In addition to Rice’s impressive performance, she also contributed 10 assists during the game. Lauren Betts added 13 points along with 10 rebounds and five assists for the Bruins, who maintained the lead throughout the contest and improved their record to 14-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten.

On the other side, Michigan’s Syla Swords shined with a career-high 30 points in her return to the court. This standout freshman from Canada had missed a previous game against No. 4 USC due to a lower leg injury suffered on December 20 during a match against Akron. Londynn Jones also made a significant impact for UCLA, contributing 13 points and connecting on three of her four 3-pointers in the final quarter.

For Michigan, the season continues to be challenging against ranked opponents, as they now hold a record of 0-4 this year. Swords previously set a career-high of 27 points in a loss to then-undefeated South Carolina. Their other defeats included losses to then-No. 10 Oklahoma and a pair of games against ranked teams from Los Angeles.

Despite finding themselves trailing by as many as 15 points, Michigan rallied to outscore UCLA 13-5 to end the third quarter, with contributions from five different players, including Swords, who added four points during that stretch. This run pulled the Wolverines within six points before a three-point play by Janiah Barker allowed UCLA to maintain a slight edge, ending the third quarter at 57-50.

A notable statistic from the game was UCLA’s dominance on the boards, where they out-rebounded Michigan 37-32. They also excelled in points scored in the paint, finishing with a 48-34 advantage, and their bench provided significant support, outscoring Michigan’s reserves 27-4. The Bruins recorded a total of 29 assists on 35 baskets made throughout the match.

Looking ahead, Michigan’s next challenge is a home game against No. 10 Ohio State on January 8. Meanwhile, UCLA will travel to Indiana to kick off a two-game Midwest road trip this Saturday.