Super sub Angela Dugalic helps UCLA women’s basketball prevail…
SACRAMENTO — Once she missed her first layup as a part of a irritating first half, Angela Dugalic knew what was wanted.
“I was like, ‘Let me just go rebound,’” the UCLA graduate ahead told The California Post while sitting at her locker. “I knew everything else was going to come.”
Indeed.
With Dugalic grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds and serving to the Bruins dominate in the paint despite a flurry of missed layups, there was no stopping them in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
In the latest signal of her ability to affect a game off the bench, Dugalic notched a double-double to assist UCLA draw back from Minnesota for an 80-56 victory on Friday night time at the Golden 1 Center.
Call her a big guard or a ahead. At 6 ft 4, it doesn’t matter given her array of expertise.
“She just makes such a big difference off the bench,” UCLA middle Lauren Betts said of the teammate who also scored 13 factors. “It’s really hard to guard her because she can play everywhere on the floor. And she’s really dominated inside this year. And I’m just really proud of her and how hard she’s worked.”
Dugalic and Betts (16 factors) had been big causes the Bruins gained the battle of factors in the paint, 52-22. Trying to cease Betts is difficult sufficient; placing Dugalic on the ground alongside her can bend defenses past their breaking point.
“If they’re going to focus on me and try to take me away,” Betts said, “Ang usually has a mismatch there. So we’re just going to make sure to try to get her touches moving forward.”
Dugalic’s story is one in every of selflessness and an emblem of her team’s willingness to do no matter is required in pursuit of a title.
Having began 34 of 35 games last season, Dugalic agreed to completely come off the bench during her final faculty season.
“I knew sometimes the changing of the rotations, that might affect some people differently and that would affect me differently each game,” Dugalic said, “so it’s just like the anxiety, if I could take that away from me and my teammates, that is easiest solution, and I would do that any single day for any of my teammates and our team.”
Coach Cori Close has requested Dugalic to do different issues based on the opponent. When she goes up against an undersized counterpart, she posts them up. When they’re larger, she’ll draw them out of the inside and set more screens to free teammates.
“Her ability this year to step into whatever role is asked of her and her ability to do that consistently and at a high level, we just trust her so much out there,” point guard Kiki Rice said. “So we all know at any time when she is available in the game, she’s going to make an affect. Whether that’s scoring, flattening 3s, scoring the paint, getting rebounds — I assumed she did a unbelievable job of crashing the boards for us today.
“But she truly is one of our X-factors. And she changes the game.”
Doing what was wanted Friday also concerned staying aggressive offensively after that early miss. Dugalic went on to make six of her final eight pictures, the tremendous sub stepping up as soon as more for a team that will face third-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
“We know we can count on her every single time and she’s going to make smart decisions, she’s going to really help us out,” Rice said. “We appreciate just the way that she shows up for us and is really selfless in her role.”
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