UCLA makes its fourth consecutive sweet 16 appearance during Cori Close coaching era with a hard earned, battle-tested victory, 87-68 over Oklahoma State. Making it sweeter with a cherry on top was Senior Center Lauren Betts setting a career high 35 points off 15 of 19 field goals, and nine rebounds as she bid farewell from playing her final collegiate home game at Pauley Pavilion, Monday night in front of an appreciative crowd.
“I thought Oklahoma State gave us all the aggression, and I thought they were fierce and competitive and physical and just want to give them credit for a great game and a great year for them, UCLA head coach Cori Close said. “It’s a weird feeling right now… not really from a basketball perspective. These aren’t where the tears come from. It’s the way these seniors have [snorts] affected our UCLA community. With class, commitment, [snorts] loyalty, selflessness. People are saying all the time, “Oh, we’ve lost the true student athlete.” No, we haven’t.”
Following a game with multiple Bruins student-athletes delivering double-double performances that included both Betts sisters in the first round against CBU, L. Betts elevated her scoring and minutes played in the second round to leave an impressionable mark and final home memory for any UCLA fan to “Betts” their bottom dollar on her impact on this team, program and a deep tournament run.
“I mean I think her impact has been incredible, she makes everyone better, not just because of the basketball player she is, but the leader she is, Graduate transfer Gianna Kneepkens said. “She challenges us, she pushes us, and she just wants what’s best for the team. So like when people triple her, she’s not worried about can I get the points. She’s seeing who’s open so that we can score. So I just have had such a great time playing with Lauren and she’s one of the biggest reasons I came here. So just super grateful to be part of this team.”
Betts’ basketball odyssey to Bruins beloved Brentwood community has been a bar raising exercise as some considered she carried the team on her back to a national championship game last season. This season, she continues to dominate and carve out her place in this program’s history while receiving a scream-filled, standing ovation when the 6-foot-7 post subbed out her final minutes of her final home game.
“I’m just really thankful,” Betts said. “This community, the minute I transferred over here, has really welcomed me with open arms.”
Betts shared about how hard she worked on sealing defenders that allowed her teammates to find her in the paint pre demand triple teams for kick out assists.
“My teammates did a really great job finding me. Some of those passes were absolutely insane!” Betts said.
Betts kept UCLA in the lead for the entire game while the closest Oklahoma came after falling behind in the opening quarter, 21-6 was within 13 points in third quarter. UCLA started the second quarter on 18-8 run that carried them into halftime with an easy advantage, 46-26
“We know that they’re really big, but we also have speed as an advantage,” OSU Guard Jadyn Wooten said. “We didn’t get off to the start that we wanted to, but coming into the second half, it was just something we thought we could take advantage of.”
Wooten scored 18 points off the bench and dished six assists. Cowgirls were led by Achol Akot’s 23 points before fouling out with 24 seconds remaining in the game.
Oklahoma State outscored UCLA 42-41 in the second half forcing coach Close to call late game timeouts despite the deficit and keeping “All Gas” Gabriela Jaquez at the end of the game while the other seniors got an embellishing substitution for their final home celebration.
“When you take out that first quarter, we went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country, and beat them in the second half,” Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt said.
Coach Close acknowledged her team and coaching staff’s shortcomings or lows as not of major concern despite Oklahoma State producing their largest run early in the third quarter led by Wooten rattling off six points to push a 9-0 run, cutting the lead to 13, 52-39. Having big leads in the first half fueled by great starts has been somewhat an Achilles heel for the Bruins.
“People are going to go on runs,” Betts said, “but we just have to lock in and focus on what we need to do.”
Betts scored 20 points in the second half, 10 coming in the third to put the Bruins up 64-47 entering the fourth period. She added 10 more points in the final quarter when the crowd sighed a sense of relief as UCLA pulled away and put up a seal to claim victory.
Joining in on this celebratory day were a few celebrities spotted to commemorate a 27-game win streak including NBA Hall of Famer, Dwayne Wade and his wife, UCLA long time athletics supporter, Gabrielle Union-Wade, alongside their 7-year-old daughter. Also, All-time Bruins great and alumni Baron Davis was in the building.
“They have a team that I believe is capable of winning it all,” Cowgirls coach Hoyt said.
Balancing Betts on the inside from the outside was Kneepkens 15 points, which she drained back-to-back triples in clutch moments, shifting momentum away from the Cowgirls. In addition, Senior Guards Kiki Rice and Jaquez scored 10 apiece in their final home game as well.
Next up the No 1- seed Bruins (34-1) take on the No. 4 seed Gophers (24-10) in a rematch of Big Ten league opponents on Friday in Sacramento.
