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Lauren Betts, UCLA roll past Oklahoma State into NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16

March 24, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Cori Close certainly understands the pulse of this UCLA women’s basketball team. After having a slow start in its NCAA Tournament opener against California Baptist, Close emphasized that it was an anomaly for her squad. She was right.

The top-seeded Bruins carried the intensity from their dominant second half on Saturday into the first half of their second-round game against Oklahoma State on Monday night. They crashed the boards and played stout defense, controlling the game from tip to finish as they beat the eighth-seeded Cowgirls, 87-68, to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth straight season.

Seeking a return trip to the Final Four, the Bruins will face fourth-seeded Minnesota (24-10) in a matchup of Big Ten opponents Friday at 4:30 p.m. PT in Sacramento.

Lauren Betts led the way, poetically scoring a career-high 35 points in her final game at Pauley Pavilion. She shot 15 for 19 from the field, maneuvering through the lane with precise footwork and extending her range with jump shots, while grabbing nine rebounds.

Gianna Kneepkens added 15 points and Kiki Rice scored 10. Gabriela Jaquez grabbed seven rebounds, and similarly to Saturday, set the tone for UCLA (33-1) with her aggressiveness while the Bruins built a 25-point first-half lead.

After Kneepkens missed a shot on UCLA’s opening possession, Jaquez intercepted an outlet pass and found Rice for a layup. After Jaquez stole another pass, Betts had a deflection, and UCLA’s pressure forced a travel. Each Oklahoma State (24-10) turnover led to a Bruins’ basket.

The energy continued when UCLA’s reserves entered the game. Sienna Betts intercepted a pocket pass, leading to a transition opportunity for her sister. Then Lauren Betts blocked another shot and the ball found Lena Bilic for a 3-pointer. Bilic made another 3-point shot off a pass from Lauren Betts, forcing the Cowgirls to burn a timeout, and inciting congratulations from UCLA’s bench for the freshman’s contributions.

Even when the Bruins missed, they created chances to score. Jaquez, specifically, was a menace on the offensive glass. She grabbed three offensive rebounds, converting each or finding an open teammate. She was in position four a fourth board, but Lauren Betts plucked it out of the air, and scored a putback layup.

The second half started out in the same way, as Betts rebounded her own missed free throw, finding Jaquez for a layup.

It’s scary how well Close knows her team because the second part of her statement on Saturday about UCLA’s starts was that it can struggle out of the halftime break. And that’s precisely what happened.

Midway through the third quarter, Oklahoma State found its footing. Jadyn Wooten dribbled into a pair of jump shots and Lena Girardi cashed a 3-pointer to cut the margin to 13.

The Bruins responded, regaining their grip on the game on the back of their defense. Betts tipped a shot, then converted a three-point play on the other side. She scored on the next two possessions to extend the lead.

After a steal by Angela Dugalic, Kneepkens scored on a layup. Then she and Lauren Betts ran a pick-and-roll to perfection. Betts scored 10 of UCLA’s final 12 points in the period and the Bruins went into the fourth with a 64-47 lead.

Betts continued to dominate, corralling Dugalic’s miss and converting a putback. Her final act was a layup off a smooth entry pass from Charlisse Leger-Walker. An unforced, unmanufactured 35th point to secure her career-high, before she exited the court with a minute to play, receiving a standing ovation from the fans.

The Bruins embraced the love from Pauley Pavilion, the six core seniors soaking in a final homestand as they strutted around the baseline, waving to their fans. Their mark will certainly remain in Westwood, but these next two weeks will determine if it’s etched into college basketball history.

NOTES

Achol Akot scored 23 points for the Cowgirls before fouling out with 24 seconds remaining. Wooten added 18 points and six assists. … UCLA defeated Minnesota, 76-58, in their lone regular-season matchup.

More to come on this story.

Orange County Register

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Lauren Betts, UCLA roll past Oklahoma State into NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16

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