MORAGA, Calif. (AP) — Rebekah Gardner scored 16 points and No. 10 UCLA used a devastating press to beat Saint Mary’s 75-59 on Sunday.
Doreena Campbell added 14 points for the Bruins (8-0), who forced 33 turnovers, and scored 40 points off them. Darxia Morris had 12 points and Atonye Nyingifa 10 for UCLA, which is off to its best start since 1980-81 and owns its first top 10 ranking since January 2000.
Freshman Danielle Mauldin had a double-double for Saint Mary’s (5-5) with 12 points and 14 rebounds and Louella Tomlinson added to her NCAA record with eight more blocked shots. She has 52 this season and 564 for her career. Suzie Davis scored 10 points for the Gaels but Jasmine Smith, Saint Mary’s’ leading scorer with an 18.8 average, was held to eight.
Jasmine Dixon, UCLA’s top scorer, returned after missing two straight games with concussion-like symptoms, but did not start and had seven points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes.
