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It might seem hard to imagine, watching the pure stroke and true form that provides Gabriela Jaquez such steady success from beyond the three-point arc.
But there was a time when Jaquez’s long-range shooting was the part of her game that gave UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close hesitancy in offering a scholarship.
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Eager to prove herself, Jaquez tirelessly toiled at a park during the pandemic, getting up one shot after another. She joined a club team based in Oakland, flying north twice a month for weekend practices.
Good thing she stuck with it.
Jaquez earned that scholarship and is fully flourishing in her senior season, her all-around brilliance powering the No. 3 Bruins to a 99-77 victory over No. 14 Tennessee on Sunday afternoon before a small but spirited crowd at Pauley Pavilion.
Jaquez scored 19 of her 29 points in the first half, leading her team to a 10-point advantage that grew to as many as 23 points in the second half. Showing her continued emergence as a knockdown shooter, Jaquez made 10 of 14 shots, including five of six three-pointers, and is now shooting a career-high 48.6% from beyond the arc this season. That’s up from 34.8% as a junior and 24.4% as a sophomore.
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Read more: Gabriela Jaquez leads No. 3 UCLA to win over Duke
Her three-pointer from the corner late in the third quarter pushed UCLA (8-1) into a 71-53 lead and prompted roars after Jaquez held the form on her follow-through as the Volunteers (5-2) called a timeout in a futile attempt to stop the Bruins’ momentum.
Tennessee momentarily pulled within 10 points early in the fourth quarter before UCLA rolled off the next eight points, Jaquez contributing with a Euro step layup in transition.
Even surrounded by so much talent, Jaquez could make a strong case for being UCLA’s best player so far this season. She does a lot more than score, fighting for gritty rebounds, throwing selfless passes and steadying teammates with her presence.
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Jaquez had plenty of…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gabriela-jaquez-scores-29-points-234321739.html
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Publish date : 2025-11-30 23:43:00
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