LOS ANGELES, CA — No. 2 UCLA extended its winning streak to 19 games Sunday afternoon, overwhelming Indiana 92-48 behind balanced scoring, relentless rebounding and stifling defense in a Big Ten women’s basketball matchup.
Kiki Rice scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Lauren Betts recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds, and the Bruins (25-1, 15-0 Big Ten) remained unbeaten in conference play. UCLA has not lost since a 76-65 defeat to No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26 and owns the nation’s third-longest active win streak.
Indiana (14-13, 3-12) shot a season-low 31% from the field and tied its season low for points in a game, struggling to generate consistent offense after losing leading scorer Shay Ciezki to an apparent ankle injury late in the first quarter.
“Our standard is to bring energy on both ends for 40 minutes,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “When we defend, rebound and share the ball the way we did today, we’re a very difficult team to beat.”
The Bruins set the tone early with their physicality inside and activity on the glass. UCLA outrebounded Indiana 51-24 overall, including a season-high 23 offensive rebounds, and turned those extra opportunities into a 28-2 advantage in second-chance points. The Bruins also forced 13 turnovers while committing just four, converting Indiana’s miscues into 25 points.
Rice controlled the tempo throughout, attacking in transition and finishing through contact. Betts dominated the paint on both ends, securing her 43rd career double-double and anchoring a defense that limited Indiana to 4-of-20 shooting from 3-point range.
“We take pride in rebounding and defending without fouling,” Betts said. “When we crash like that and limit teams to one shot, it fuels everything else we want to do offensively.”
UCLA’s depth also proved decisive. Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gianna Kneepkens scored 12 points each, Gabriela Jaquez added 11, and Sienna Betts and Lena Bilic contributed 10 apiece as the Bruins steadily built their lead. UCLA led by double digits at the end of the first quarter and continued to widen the margin behind a suffocating defensive effort that disrupted Indiana’s rhythm.
Maya Makalusky led the Hoosiers with 13 points. Lenee Beaumont added 11 on 4-of-14 shooting, and Nevaeh Caffey scored 10. But Indiana, which entered the game shooting 47.9% — 14th-best nationally — struggled to find clean looks against UCLA’s length and pressure.
Ciezki, who came in averaging 24.0 points per game to rank fifth nationally and lead the Big Ten, exited after appearing to twist her ankle and did not return. Without her scoring punch, the Hoosiers were unable to keep pace as UCLA turned defensive stops into transition opportunities.
The Bruins’ dominance on the boards and efficiency on offense underscored why they remain firmly in the national championship conversation. With just weeks remaining in the regular season, UCLA continues to separate itself atop the Big Ten standings.
UCLA will host No. 25 Washington on Thursday as it seeks to extend its streak to 20 games. Indiana returns home to face Oregon next Sunday, looking to regroup as the conference schedule winds down.
