| Women’s Basketball |
|---|
| Oklahoma St. — 68 |
| UCLA — 87 |
UCLA made sure there was no slow start this time.
After a sluggish opening-round performance, the Bruins came out sharp Monday night, defeating Oklahoma State 87-68 at Pauley Pavilion to advance to the Sweet 16.
No. 1-seed UCLA women’s basketball (33-1, 18-0 Big Ten) took control right away. A 9-0 run to open the game, capped by senior center Lauren Betts’ pass out of the post to graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker for three, forced Oklahoma State (24-10, 12-6 Big 12) to play from behind early.
“I think being the aggressors and taking things away is a really big point that we wanted to make this game,” Betts said. “I thought we did that from the very beginning.”
By the end of the first quarter, UCLA led 21-6, using its defense to force turnovers and limit clean looks.
The Bruins built a 20-point lead by halftime behind strong rebounding and efficient scoring inside. Oklahoma State cut the deficit to 13 in the third quarter during a 9-0 run, but never got closer.
Betts responded each time.
The senior center finished with a career-high 35 points on 15-for-19 shooting, adding nine rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal. She scored 10 of UCLA’s final 12 points in the third quarter, helping the Bruins hold their lead.
Graduate guard Gianna Kneepkens added 15 points, while senior guards Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez each scored 10.
UCLA improved to 33-1 overall with the win and extended its winning streak to 27 games. The Bruins also finished the season undefeated at home, going 16-0 at Pauley Pavilion.
Monday marked the final home game for UCLA’s senior class. As the clock wound down, Jaquez dribbled out the possession and waved to the crowd, with teammates joining her at mid-court shortly after.
“I think we just can’t get tired of doing it right and learning from every single game,” head coach Cori Close said.
UCLA will face No. 4-seed Minnesota in the Sweet 16 on Friday, March 27 in Sacramento at 4:30 p.m. PST. The Bruins defeated the Golden Gophers earlier this season.
