Betts’ 23 points help No. 1 UCLA women’s basketball overcome late surge by Washington – Daily News

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UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) drives as Washington forward Dalayah Daniels (14) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

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SEATTLE — Lauren Betts had 23 points and top-ranked UCLA women’s basketball survived a late challenge with a 73-62 victory over Washington in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

Kiki Rice added 18 for the undefeated Bruins (9-0, 1-0), who led by as many as 17 in the third quarter.

Elle Ladine led the Huskies (7-3, 0-1) with 19 points, going 3 for 5 from beyond the arc. Dalayah Daniels added 14 points.

Sayvia Sellers and Ladine hit back-to-back 3-pointer to close Washington’s deficit to 64-59 with 4:04 left. But the Bruins answered with a 7-0 run and were not threatened the rest of the way.

UCLA led 35-25 at the half.

UCLA: Despite having its toughest rebounding battle of the season, UCLA outscored its hosts 50-22 in the paint, and 12-3 on the fastbreak.

Washington: It’s the second close loss to a top-10 team for the Huskies, who fell to No. 5 LSU 68-67 in the Bahamas on Nov. 25 in a game they led until the final seconds.

After Washington got within five in the final quarter, Betts got the ball on UCLA’s ensuing possession and scored on a jumper and a free throw. She added a layup in the paint and Gabriela Jaquez added a fast-break basket to seal it.

For the first time this season, UCLA — which came into the day as the fourth-best rebounding team in the country — lost the battle on the glass, with the Huskies outrebounding the Bruins 32-30.

UCLA will return to Southern California and play at Long Beach State on Saturday. Washington will stay at home and host Utah in a nonconference matchup on Saturday.

Originally Published: December 8, 2024 at 4:35 PM PST