WOMENS BASKETBALL
UCLA 70, Arizona State 41
JACK MAGRUDER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TEMPE, Ariz. - Lauren Betts had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Kiki Rice added 14 points when No. 8 UCLA beat Arizona State 70-41.
Betts had her ninth double-double and Rice added seven assists and seven rebounds for the Bruins (23-5, 12-5 Pac-12), who will finish the series between the teams with a 16-game winning streak.
The Bruins conclude the regular season at Arizona on Saturday with a chance to take the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Las Vegas. The Sun Devils’ 41 points was an opponents’ season low.
Jalyn Brown had 14 points and Trayanna Crisp had 13 points for Arizona State (11-18, 3-14), which has lost three in a row. Brown has scored in double figures in 17 straight games.
Behind the 6-foot-7 Betts, UCLA used its size advantage to take a 52-24 rebound advantage and a 44-16 edge in points in the paint.
UCLA’s switching man-to-man defense limited Arizona State to 28.3% shooting from the field. The Bruins held the Sun Devils to 26.7% shooting in a 78-45 victory in Los Angeles on Feb. 11.
Dugalić made the play of the game on UCLA’s 10-0 run in the second quarter, when she threw a nifty behind-the-back pass to Rice for a fast-break layup and a 28-16 lead with four minutes remaining. Dugalić had a little smile as she ran back.
UCLA entered with a scoring margin of plus-17.7, 16th in NCAA Division I. The Bruins were playing on short rest after beating No. 13 Colorado 53-45 at home Monday.
BIG PICTURE
UCLA: The Bruins were projected as No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in the selection committee’s latest reveal Thursday, and they looked it while sweeping the season from Arizona State. How deep is the Pac-12? Stanford is another projected NCAA No. 1 seed, and two of the top 18 teams in AP Top 25 will NOT qualify for a first-round bye in league tournament that begins Wednesday in Las Vegas. UCLA can clinch a bye if it wins at Arizona on Saturday, and the Bruins can still finish as high as second. The top four teams receive byes.
Arizona State: The Suns will finish the regular season having taken incremental steps forward in coach Natasha Adair’s second season, bumping their win total to 11 with at least two games remaining despite playing without 2022-23 leading scorer Tyi Skinner.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
February 29, 2024
