UCLA women’s basketball rallies to win Battle 4 Atlantis

Rookie Kiki Rice led UCLA to a 66-58 overtime win over Marquette in Monday’s Battle 4 Atlantis championship game in the Bahamas.

Rice had a career-high 18 points and seven rebounds, with graduate transfer Gina Conti hitting 16 points. Leading goalscorer Charisma Osborne had nine points – her first single-digit game of the season – but added a season-high six assists as the Bruins (6-0) went their third game in as many days.

After UCLA started Saturday’s tournament with a 72-65 win over South Dakota State to avenge a season-ending loss in last year’s WNIT, UCLA defeated then-No. 11 Tennessee in Sunday’s semifinals behind a historic three-point performance. The Bruins poured 16 threes in 30 attempts and attempted to set a record in a single game.

But her hot shooting touch cooled off during the championship game. The Bruins made just three of 18 shots from three-point range. Rice led the offense with a six-of-18 shooting, with just one shot coming from behind the arc, and a perfect six-of-six from the free-throw line to give Marquette (5-1) his first loss of the year.

Senior Camryn Brown anchored the defense with five steals, including four in the fourth quarter and overtime, and six rebounds. UCLA shot a season-low 34.8% from the field but forced 24 turnovers and passed Marquette 45-38.

The Bruins jumped into the Associated Press top 25 during the game for the first time since November 28.