How To Watch, Game Preview and Game Thread: #3 UCLA Bruins vs. Purdue Boilermakers
After the #3 UCLA women’s basketball team blew out #12/11 Maryland on Sunday, the Bruins are back tonight for a home game against the Purdue Boilermakers. Tip-off for tonight’s game is 7 pm PT and, while the game won’t be televised, it will be streamed on B1G+.
While Purdue’s men’s basketball team was ranked fourth in this week’s Top 25 polls, it didn’t stop the Bruins men’s team from beating them last night. So, that fact needs to serve as a cautionary warning to the Bruin women. UCLA cannot sleepwalk through a game. After all, while the Boilermakers are unranked, they did defeat then-#23 Washington at home last week in double overtime.
Katie Gearlds is in her fifth season coaching at her alma mater. While her record at Purdue is just 71-72, she had previously coached at Marian University, an NAIA school located in Indianapolis. At Marian, she posted a record of 227-49.
On Sunday, the Boilermakers lost to Southern Cal, 83-57. Considering that and the fact that the Bruins defeated the Trojans by 34 at home, it’s quite possible that UCLA could—and should—hand Purdue a defeat with a margin wider than the 51 points by which they lost to Michigan.
Let’s look at Purdue’s starting five.
Purdue Boilermakers’ Starting Five
Gearlds will probably start a lineup with four guards and a forward.
Redshirt junior Tara Daye joined the Boilermakers this year after playing the last two seasons at St. John’s. She’s averaging 12.8 ppg for Purdue, and she leads the team in steals with 25 and rebounds with an average of 6.8 rpg.
Fifth-year senior Madison Layden-Zay leads Purdue in assists with 51, and she’s second in blocks with 10. She is third on the team in scoring with an average of 10.3 ppg and in rebounds with an average of 4.0 rpg.
Junior McKenna Layden is Madison’s sister. While she started against Southern Cal, she only played seven minutes and didn’t score. For the season, she’s averaging 13.8 minutes per game and just 2.1 ppg.
The fourth starting guard will likely be sophomore Nya Smith. Against Southern Cal, Smith scored just four points in 28 minutes. She found herself in foul trouble and might have done more if she hadn’t been, but she is averaging just 5.8 ppg. She has been one of the best on the team when shooting from the line. She’s made more than 90% of her free throws.
Sophomore Kendall Puryear started at forward against the Trojans. Puryear is averaging 6.7 ppg. Expect to see her switch out with sophomore forward Lana McCarthy. While Puryear has started just six games, McCarthy has started 12 games. So, it appears that Geards is using the two ladies in a platoon, meaning either could start tonight. McCarthy has the better numbers. She is averaging 7.4 ppg and she is shooting 57.7% from the field while Puryear is shooting 53.2%.
In addition to whomever doesn’t start at forward, expect to see a lot of Kiki Smith and Hila Karsh. Both have played in all eighteen games for the Boilermakers. Smith is averaging 25.3 minutes per game and Karsh is averaging 28.7. Smith is second on the team in scoring with an average of 10.8 ppg while Karsh is averaging 8.7 ppg. Karsh is also second on the team in assists with 48.
Analysis
Coach Cori Close has spoken a lot about the team playing up to their standard. As long as the team plays up to that standard, this game should be over pretty early. In fact, I won’t be surprised if UCLA goes wire to wire tonight and never trails.
At the same time, this certainly has the makings of a potential trap game for the Bruins if they aren’t careful.
But I don’t see this team taking their foot off the gas. I fully expect them to win tonight’s game by more than 50 points.
#3 UCLA Women’s Basketball (17-1, 7-0)
Opponent: Purdue Boilermakers (10-8, 2-5)
Series Record: UCLA leads, 3-2.
When: 7:00 pm PT, Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
TV: None
Live Stream: B1G+ with Brian Fenley and Victoria Dennis
Radio/Audio
Satellite Radio: Sirius Ch. 117 and XM Ch. 195 (UCLA Call)
Online: uclabruins.com with Dave Marcus
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
Game Notes:
UCLA
Go Bruins!!!
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Just a dominant performance!!! 💙💛💙💛
Big lead at the half, but I think this game is really about playing at a high level regardless of the score. Want to see team D, and also use it to develop some of the bench while giving the regulars a breather. Too bad Lena seems to still be unavailable.