SPOKANE, Wash. — The fourth time was the charm for UCLA, at least when it comes to the Sweet 16 hurdle that has tripped up the Bruins in its last three journeys to this point in the postseason. But with a 76-62 win over Ole Miss on Friday, the Bruins advanced to the Elite Eight.
It’s the program’s third overall Elite Eight appearance and first since 2018.
Like the Bruins’ second-round opponent in Richmond, Ole Miss hung around through the first half, but UCLA’s depth and talent ultimately wore down the Rebels in the third quarter, where UCLA outscored Ole Miss 25-15. While Ole Miss was able to hang with the Bruins on the glass overall, the defensive-minded Rebels didn’t have a solution for Lauren Betts, who shot 94 percent from the floor, or for the overall offensive flow of the Bruins, who finished with a 60 percent field goal percentage.
Turn around bucket 😮💨 @laurenbetts12 #MarchMadness x 🎥 ESPN / @UCLAWBB pic.twitter.com/b4Slh9019Z
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 29, 2025
With the most talented roster UCLA has ever had, the program’s first Final Four is just 40 minutes away. But before they can get there, the Bruins have one more hurdle to clear. UCLA will meet No. 3 seed LSU in the Elite Eight, a rematch from the 2024 Sweet 16 in Albany, where the Tigers won 78-69.
LSU’s defense overwhelmed the Bruins in that game, forcing 19 turnovers and holding UCLA to 36 percent from the floor (and 22 percent from beyond the arc).
Lauren Betts dominates again
The biggest difference Friday night: UCLA had Betts on its team. Ole Miss did not.
That’s largely how it’s gone for the Bruins’ opponents this year, with the Rebels being their latest victim. There is simply no stopping Betts, the 6-foot-7 junior center who oftentimes made it look easy, finishing with 31 points on 15-of-16 shooting and 10 rebounds. Oh, and she threw in three blocks, too.
Despite feeling winded in the first half, Betts posted up with ease, ran the floor well and was once again the cog that made UCLA’s machine go. She has finished with 63 points in the Bruins’ past two games and continues to be the hardest player to guard in the tournament. After the game, she was all smiles, pointing her fingers in the air, running toward midcourt to celebrate with her teammates and waving to the crowd.
“It makes life easy for any point guard playing with her,” guard Kiki Rice, who finished with 13 points and seven assists, said earlier this week. “I mean, look, Lauren catches any pass, finds (her way) out of triple teams, double teams, she finds her shooters on the perimeter and just a great person, a great teammate.
“So I think that trust that we all have in her and know that we go as Lauren goes is something that we just believe strongly in her, and it makes life easy, for me especially, because I know that she has my back down there and is really going to just hold it down. So I’m just really grateful to be playing with Lauren, not against her.”
Loving this duo 🤝@laurenbetts12 x @kiki_rice0 #MarchMadness x 🎥 ESPN / @UCLAWBB pic.twitter.com/OQ01SP6Etz
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 29, 2025
UCLA’s big third quarter builds cushion
After going into the half with a one-point lead, the Bruins came out and put together one of their most impressive quarters of the season. UCLA shot 75 percent from the floor and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Importantly, in the third quarter, UCLA began knocking down shots from beyond the arc. After going 1-of-4 from range in the first half, they went 3-of-4 in the third quarter.
Defensively, the Bruins clamped down on the Rebels, holding them to 37 percent from the floor and disrupting any offensive flow. They held Ole Miss to no assists on its seven third-quarter field goals, blocked three shots and forced three turnovers.
Ball control will be crucial moving forward
For as well as UCLA played Friday night in Spokane, if coach Cori Close has one bone to pick with her team, it will be the turnovers. Even though the Rebels are known for their disruptive defense — they rank 17th nationally in both forced turnovers (20.8 per game) and steals (11.2 per game) — she won’t be thrilled about her program’s ball control against the Rebels in the Sweet 16.
UCLA, which entered Friday averaging 15 turnovers per game, finished with 19 against Ole Miss. The Rebels cashed in on 15 points off them. That’s fine when Betts dominated the way she did, but the margin for error only gets smaller as the tournament continues.
The Bruins have a big one against LSU on Sunday. While the Tigers’ defense isn’t as vaunted as it was a season ago, given how productive they can be offensively, UCLA can’t afford to give away possessions and second chances.
(Photo: James Snook / Imagn Images)