No. 3 UCLA women’s basketball survived a late push from Iowa to secure a 67-65 comeback victory on Sunday, and Bruins star center Lauren Betts reflected on the experience of playing in a high-stakes environment.
“I have watched Iowa for a really long time, great team,” Betts said, as reported by Ethan Petrik of the Quad-City Times. “I knew it was going to be a really cool environment. I am not surprised it was a sold-out crowd, but I think it was a really great opportunity for our team to kind of experience this and have fun with it and show who we are as a team. (I am) super excited to have gotten the experience to play here. It is something that I have always wanted to do.”
Betts led UCLA (26-1, 14-1 Big Ten) with 22 points and 12 rebounds, helping the Bruins rally from a 12-point third-quarter deficit. The Bruins went on a 16-4 run in the final 5:30 of the third quarter to tie the game at 50. Kiki Rice’s three-pointer with 2:19 remaining gave UCLA a 62-60 lead, and the Bruins held on in the final moments.
Iowa (18-9, 8-8) had a chance to tie or take the lead when Lucy Olsen was fouled on a three-point attempt with six seconds left. Olsen made all three free throws to even the score at 65, but UCLA’s Elina Aarnisalo was fouled on the ensuing possession and hit both free throws to put the Bruins back on top.
After the game, UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close praised Iowa’s grit and credited Hawkeyes coach Jan Jensen for her work in guiding the team.
“Jan did a heck of a job,” Close said. “What she has done from bringing that team from the beginning of the year to now, they are tough. They are hard to guard. They know who they are. Credit to them.”
UCLA battled through early foul trouble, with Betts sitting the final minutes of the second quarter after picking up her second foul, per John Bohnenkamp of the Associated Press. The Bruins shot just 5-of-25 from three-point range but made key shots down the stretch to hold off Iowa. They also dominated the rebounding battle, finishing with a 43-34 edge, including 25-11 in the second half.
Iowa’s Olsen led her team with 17 points but struggled from the field, shooting 5-of-21. Hannah Stuelke added 11 points.
With four games remaining in the regular season, UCLA will travel to Wisconsin on Wednesday, while Iowa will head to Michigan looking to rebound.
The post Lauren Betts makes ‘cool’ admission after UCLA’s close win vs. Iowa appeared first on ClutchPoints.
