Finally, It’s Blue Skies for Bruins

On Sunday, Nikki Blue and the Bruins got a team they could handle and played a game in which they could have fun.

The timing could not have been better.

Fresno State was pesky and energetic, but Blue had her best game this season, with 23 points and nine assists in UCLA’s 69-56 women’s basketball victory before 820 at Pauley Pavilion.

Blue came into the game shooting only 33%, but sank her first two shots on Sunday and went on to make nine of 19 attempts (47.4%) for UCLA (4-4).

“The last couple of games I was struggling,” Blue said. “But I said, ‘I can’t go into Christmas like this, so I might as well start it off right here today.’ ”

Veronica Mack had 19 for Fresno State (5-4).

The Bruins came out using full-court pressure, and the all-out defense paid some dividends, in part causing Fresno State to turn the ball over 14 times.

But when the Bulldogs did cross the midcourt line, they found gaps in the UCLA zone.

Mack made four three-point shots in the first half, the last one giving Fresno State its only lead, 24-23, with 4:42 to play.

By halftime UCLA had recovered the lead, at 35-31.

Fresno State made the first field goal of the second half but did not score over the next 6:39 while UCLA put up 13 consecutive points to increase its lead to 48-33.

-- Mike Terry

No. 22 Texas Christian 86, Pepperdine 69 -- Center Sandora Irvine dominated the middle for the Horned Frogs (8-1) in their victory over the Waves (3-6) in the Malibu Beach Classic tournament at Pepperdine’s Firestone Fieldhouse.

Irvin came up with 16 points, 11 blocked shots and eight rebounds to pace Texas Christian, which blazed to a 41-23 halftime lead and coasted to victory.

Nicole Funn had 28 points to lead Pepperdine.

From Associated Press