UCLA opens its NCAA title bid by dominating California Baptist

The adage goes, it doesn’t have to be pretty. But for the UCLA women’s basketball team, that’s not the philosophy. Coach Cori Close preaches thriving, not surviving, and that’s been evident in the Bruins’ lopsided victory margin all season.

That’s why leading by 10 points at halftime against a No. 16 seed was likely alarming. So much so that UCLA locked in for a 31-4 third quarter in one of its most dominant periods all season en route to a first-round NCAA tournament win.

UCLA (32-1) took down California Baptist 96-43 at Pauley Pavilion, advancing to Monday’s second-round contest against No. 8 seed Oklahoma State (24-9) for a spot in the Sweet 16.

Lauren Betts earned a double-double with 22 points with 10 rebounds, while her sister, Sienna Betts, had her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

UCLA center Lauren Betts drives against California Baptist forward Grace Schmidt in the first half Saturday.

(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)

It was the Bruins’ 26th consecutive win, with the team’s most recent loss in November against fellow No. 1 seed Texas.

California Baptist (23-11) had the eighth-worst NET rating of any NCAA tournament team, but the Lancers have a couple of areas where they excel. It was not enough to beat a No. 1 seed that just needed some time to shake off the rust, but it was enough to fend off a more lopsided score other No. 16 seeds endured across the nation.

A No. 16 seed has not upset a No. 1 seed in the women’s NCAA tournament since 1998.

The Bruins took the lead with 3:51 left in the first quarter as a part of a 10-0 run after starting the game one for five. While the Lancers clawed back to within five points, the gap only widened from there.

UCLA’s size overwhelmed California Baptist, whose tallest player is 6-foot-3 Emma Johansson. Johansson, who entered Saturday second in the country with 2.86 blocks per game, picked up just one block and one rebound with four fouls. The Bruins’ 62-21 rebounding advantage came from the significant height gap across all positions. UCLA also nabbed a season-high 21 offensive boards.

The Bruins finished with 54 points in the paint to the Lancers’ 14, along with 30 second-chance points compared to California Baptist’s eight.

The Lancers rely heavily on their three-point shot, with the eighth-most in the NCAA at 28.3 attempts per game. They went six for 30 (20%) from deep on Saturday, which kept the deficit from getting out of hand early, but the Lancers couldn’t maintain their early strong shooting pace.

UCLA started the third quarter on a 15-0 run. The Lancers didn’t score until the 7:20 mark in the third quarter. The Bruins shot 10 of 16 from the field and their 31 points were tied for their second most in a quarter this season.

Chance Bucher led the Lancers with 11 points, but California Baptist’s 25% from the field was the lowest field-goal percentage UCLA has allowed all year.

Now UCLA’s focus shifts to its next matchup.

The Bruins are 1-1 all-time against Oklahoma State, which beat No. 9 seed Princeton 82-68 earlier Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. Tipoff for UCLA’s game Monday is set for 7 p.m.