With every shot that found the bottom of the net, every pass that was deflected, every trip down the court that resulted in one player pointing at another in appreciation, the UCLA women’s basketball team did something it could not two days earlier.
Bury an overmatched opponent in the opening minutes.
The Bruins didn’t wait to exert their dominance Monday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
When Lauren Betts flung a pass out of the post to Charlisse Leger-Walker for a 3-pointer, UCLA had scored the first nine points against Oklahoma State.
The top-seeded Bruins were soon leading by double digits and closed the first quarter with 10 consecutive points. UCLA’s 87-68 victory over the eighth-seeded Cowgirls at Pauley Pavilion was a strong counter to its lackluster early play in the first round, when the Bruins held just a 10-point halftime lead against Cal Baptist.
They were up by 20 at the game’s midpoint Monday, allowing them to withstand a significant third-quarter lull in which Oklahoma State pulled to within 13.
The Cowgirls could get no closer. Leger-Walker drove for a layup and Betts made a putback in which she was fouled, unleashing a celebratory roar.
Betts finished with a career-high 35 points on 15-for-19 shooting before leaving with a minute to play.
Even though it wasn’t the most complete performance, UCLA (33-1) was well on the way to its 27th consecutive victory, extending the program record.
What it means
This was the final game for UCLA’s six seniors on their home court, where their team has gone 61-5 over the past four seasons.
They saved their best for last, completing a perfect 16-0 record inside Pauley Pavilion this season.
As Gabriela Jaquez dribbled out the final seconds, she waved to fans standing and cheering.
Turning point
The opening tip.
With so much discussion about UCLA’s poor early showing against Cal Baptist, the Bruins were clearly determined to do better.
It wasn’t just an early deluge of points that made this a runaway; their tight defense flustered Oklahoma State (24-10) into four early turnovers.
Once Gianna Kneepkens buried back-to-back 3-pointers, UCLA was up by 11 and on its way.
MVP
Like she so often does, the 6-foot-7 Betts dominated against smaller defenders.
She was particularly unstoppable in the third quarter when the game got tight.
Making 3 of 4 shots and 5 of 7 free throws, Betts finished the quarter with 11 points to go with four rebounds and one assist.
Betts finished with nine rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal to go with her career high in points.
Up next
In a Big Ten battle on a bigger stage, UCLA will play fourth-seeded Minnesota on Friday at the Golden 1 Center in a regional semifinal. The Bruins defeated the Golden Gophers by 18 points when the teams met in January in Minneapolis.