Indianapolis, IN – Lauren Betts proved why she was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, dominating on both ends with 28 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 7 blocks, and 3 steals. Gabriela Jaquez added 23 points and 9 boards as UCLA took down Nebraska 85-74 to advance to the next round.
The Lady Bruins came out strong, setting the tone early, but unlike their previous blowout win, this matchup was a much tougher battle.
“First of all, what great adjustments Nebraska made,” said UCLA head coach Cori Close. “Obviously, we played them at the end of December, so for them to have all this time, I thought they made great adjustments, especially having it be their third game in three days. Just credit to their team and staff.”
Nebraska came out swinging in the second quarter, flipping the script with a 7-0 run that had UCLA on its heels. Lockdown defense turned into easy buckets, and the Huskers chipped away at what was once a 10-point deficit. With 3:32 left before halftime, UCLA tried to stop the bleeding at the free-throw line, but Nebraska wasn’t letting up. Amiah Hargrove drilled a clutch three, and Britt Prince followed with another deep bomb, tying the game and sending their fans into a frenzy. Betts responded like a star, muscling in a bucket and swatting away a Nebraska shot in the final moments, keeping UCLA ahead 41-39 at the break. After a blazing first quarter, the Bruins cooled off, shooting just 3-of-13 from deep, while Nebraska caught fire at 4-of-9. This wasn’t the same matchup as December’s blowout—this time, the Huskers came for a fight.
Lauren Betts set the tone in the third quarter, blocking three shots and scoring the first four points to quickly shift the momentum back to UCLA. With under eight minutes left, Gabriela Jaquez nailed a huge three to put the Bruins up, and Kiki Rice added a slick driving layup to extend the lead to five. The turning point came at the three-minute mark when Rice converted an and-one, pushing UCLA ahead 58-49. Betts dominated defensively, Rice attacked the rim, and Jaquez hit clutch shots— all three stars making sure UCLA stayed in control.
But Nebraska’s Britt Prince wasn’t going down without a fight, dropping eight in the quarter, including the Huskers’ last six points. Heading into the final period, UCLA held a 62-55 lead, setting up a nail-biting finish.
Nebraska (21-11), fresh off a grueling three-game stretch, fought hard, led by Britt Prince’s 24 points and Alex Markowski’s 11. But UCLA, fueled by Lauren Betts’ dominant defense and Gabriela Jaquez’s clutch shooting, proved too much. “I think being in a new conference has brought a lot out of us,” said Betts. “Playing a team like Nebraska, with all their forwards shooting, really pushed me to work on my perimeter defense.”
The Bruins struggled to break away until a 13-2 run early in the third quarter gave them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Despite Prince’s fiery start to the fourth with an and-one, UCLA responded with a backbreaking three from Kiki Rice and a dagger from Timea Gardiner, pushing the lead to 14.
The Lady Bruins cruised to an 85-74 win, setting up a showdown with Ohio State for a spot in the Big Ten Championship.
