No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. No. 1 UCLA preview

After back-to-back losses to No. 7 Texas and No. 12 Ohio State, No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball faces its toughest test of the season on Sunday in College Park.

No. 1 UCLA comes to the Xfinity Center to face a Maryland team that is enduring its toughest stretch of the season.

Sunday’s game begins at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC.

UCLA Bruins, (19-0, 6-0 Big Ten)

In her 13th season as coach, head coach Cori Close has brought UCLA to the top of women’s college basketball. The Bruins have rattled off 19 straight wins to start the season and are the only undefeated team in the Power Five.

Their decisive win was their victory over then-No. 1 South Carolina in Los Angeles. They also have wins over No. 24 Michigan and No. 25 Baylor.

Players to watch

Lauren Betts, junior center, 6-foot-7, No. 51 – Betts has wreaked havoc on her opponents so far this season, leading the team with 20.3 points per game in her second season with the Bruins after transferring from Stanford. The Spanish-born center also leads UCLA with 10.1 rebounds and provides 2.4 assists per game. Betts is in the running for national player of the year.

Kiki Rice, junior guard, 5-foot-11, No. 1 – Rice is UCLA’s primary point guard in her third season with the Bruins from Bethesda, Maryland. She is averaging 12.8 points per game this season and leads the team with 4.4 assists per game. She was a force for the Bruins, was an All Pac-12 selection last season and is one of the Big Ten’s best guards this season.

Gabriela Jaquez, junior guard, 6-foot-0, No. 11 – Jaquez is the sister of Miami Heat guard and UCLA men’s basketball player Jaime Jaquez Jr., but she made a name for herself at UCLA. In her third season with the Bruins, she is averaging 10.3 points per game along with 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. She played a key role in both the starting lineup and the bench, helping the Bruins to an undefeated start to the season.

Strength

Defense. UCLA is a team with many strengths, but none are more impressive than their defensive intensity and skill. The Bruins are allowing just 54.4 points per game, ranking second in the conference by 0.2 points behind USC and 13th overall nationally. Betts plays a big role in changing shots at the rim as the Bruins block more than five shots per game.

weakness

Lack of road experience. The Bruins have yet to go out on the road in a hostile environment and claim a clear win. Maryland has marked this contest as its “blackout” game, and with students back on campus, the Xfinity Center should rock for the primetime matchup. Under these conditions, UCLA could struggle on the road.

Three things to consider

1. Seller Availability. Maryland’s chances in this game depend directly on whether Sellers is available. The team initially marked her daily with a right knee sprain, but likely won’t classify her as available or unavailable until the day of the match. Without Sellers and Bri McDaniel, who are out for the season, the Terps will have a tall order to beat the No. 1 team in the country.

2. Fight on the glass. Sunday afternoon’s matchup will be between the Big Ten’s top two rebounding teams. Winning the boards has been the key to many of Maryland’s victories this season, and it will take a major effort to keep Betts off the glass. Frese could capitalize on Amari DeBerry’s size, especially if she’s shorthanded, although DeBerry has struggled with limited minutes this year.

3. Big stage. The game will be broadcast on NBC’s main channel, making it Maryland’s only nationally televised regular-season matchup. The game could be mainstream audiences’ only exposure to the Terps until the postseason and give them a chance to make a lasting impression. It will be worth keeping an eye on whether or not Maryland is up to the challenge.