Swanson: Near-perfect Lauren Betts, UCLA roll into the Elite Eight

SPOKANE, Wash. — Now it’s a Sweet 16.

With its 76-62 victory over Ole Miss on Friday night at Spokane Arena, the UCLA women’s basketball team rinsed the sour taste from losing in the NCAA Tournament’s regional semifinal round each of the previous two seasons – both times to defending national champions.

After knocking, knocking, these Bruins broke through to the Elite Eight with one of their patented third-quarter blitzes.

Also, UCLA has Lauren Betts. And no one else does.

The Rebels (22-11) said this week they thought they could figure out a way to handle UCLA’s star center. But Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s spirited cast – usually in single coverage – couldn’t even hope to contain her.

“Obviously what we tried didn’t work,” Coach Yo said. “And it didn’t work for 32 other teams either.”

Bruins guard Kiki Rice could have told them: “I’m so thankful I’m playing with her and not against her.” So could have Richmond, which UCLA (33-2) and Betts dismissed in the second round.

According to ESPN, Betts’ output Friday made her the first Division I player to have 30 points, 10 rebounds and shoot 80% from the field in back-to-back games – any games – over the past 20 seasons.

Even Betts had to admit: “That’s insane.”

Betts is 6 feet, 7 inches of power and grace, and miles more of heart and hustle, and on Friday she went for 31 points on 15-of-16 shooting. She missed only once, just before the halftime buzzer. A Naismith Award finalist, Betts also pulled down 10 rebounds and, for good measure, sprinkled in three blocked shots and two assists. The players she was defending shot 2 for 13.

“UCLA looks like a team that can win the national championship to me because I don’t – like, who is going to stop her?” McPhee-McCuin said.

The victory – a No. 1 seed overtaking a No. 5 seed – was predictable. It was also something of a relief. The natural next necessary step and a giant leap for a junior-laden team that can’t bring home the UCLA athletic department’s 125th national championship from Tampa – and the women’s basketball program’s first – without first getting past the Sweet 16.

Next up, Sunday, the second Elite Eight berth in Coach Cori Close’s 14-season UCLA tenure and the first since 2018. It will be a rematch with LSU, the No. 3 seed that KO’d the Bruins in the Sweet 16 a year ago and did the same Friday to North Carolina State, 80-73.

Also, the next next necessary step.

“I’m really grateful, really proud of our team, proud of how we continue to learn what does the game teach us and how do we respond – especially in the second half,” said Close, who noted that she wrote in her prayer journal Friday morning: “How lucky am I? To coach amazing young women, and be on the biggest stages – I’m just a thankful person excited to coach another game.”

Moving on “for sure gives us a lot of confidence,” Rice said, “we all expected to be here, though.”

UCLA didn’t have to deal with another Sweet 16 matchup against another defending champion because of its elite play all season; the Bruins were 30-2 going into the tournament, losing only to crosstown rival USC, which also is a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Bruins went into halftime ahead only 30-29, despite Ole Miss shooting just 2 for 17 out of the gates.

Then the Third-Quarter Bruins checked in, blowing open the game by winning the period 25-15, and running their third-quarter advantage to 115-47 in their past five games.

Rice credited Close and her coaches for identifying the right adjustments, even as Close joked that she must be messing up in the first half.

“The biggest thing we talked about at halftime, is rebounding,” Rice said, adding that really, the “adjustments we made at halftime were we felt like we were better than one point better than Ole Miss.”

They knew, too, that they were better than the Sweet 16.