AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Michaela Onyenwere scored 25 points and third-seeded UCLA was never threatened en route to a 69-48 victory over Wyoming in the opening round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night.
Onyenwere, a 6-foot senior, converted 9 of 17 shots from the field. She is averaging more than 24 points in her last five games, five more than her mark for the season.
Wyoming coach Gerald Mattinson said no approach to guarding Onyenwere worked.
“We tried a lot of things,” Mattinson said. “She had an answer, they had an answer for everything we tried.”
Onyenwere has a big fan in teammate Natalie Chou, a senior who played for Baylor for two seasons before transferring to UCLA.
“Her athleticism is just amazing,” Chou said. “I’ve never met anyone as athletic as her, as consistent as her. Every day, I’m amazed at what she can do.”
Charisma Osborne added 15 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Chou also scored 15.
Alba Sanchez Ramos led Wyoming with 15 points and 10 rebounds. McKinley Bradshaw scored 13.
