UCLA clinches share of Big Ten regular-season title

UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close likes to say that maximum growth can only be achieved through the right balance of struggle and joy.

The second-ranked Bruins experienced some of both emotions Thursday night in their second-to-last home game of the season.

They struggled for pockets of their game against pesky Washington at Pauley Pavilion but ultimately prevailed for an 82-67 victory, allowing them to savor the significance of the moment.

UCLA clinched a share of the Big Ten regular-season title while also securing the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament. It’s the Bruins’ first regular-season conference title since 1999, when they played in the Pac-10.

“We have a lot we’ve got to clean up from today, we’ve got things we’ve got to grow in,” Close told reporters afterward, “but I want our overall message to be like, we did something that hasn’t been done here since 1999 and that’s pretty darn cool.”

Close said the achievement was even more special because several players from that 1999 team were at the game.

UCLA (26-1 overall, 16-0 Big Ten) can clinch the conference’s regular-season championship outright with a victory over Wisconsin on Sunday.

“Obviously we want to win it outright,” Bruins center Lauren Betts said, “so we’re going to continue to make sure we finish this regular season the right way.”

UCLA withstood Washington’s 10 3-pointers by outscoring the Huskies (19-8, 9-7), 48-24, in the paint. Betts was central to that interior dominance by making 11 of 15 shots on the way to 23 points.

What does it mean?

The Bruins avoided a letdown while continuing their bid to earn a top overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

They also remained on track to become the first Big Ten team to finish the regular season with a perfect conference record since Maryland went 18-0 during the 2014-15 season. The Terrapins reached the Final Four that season before losing to UConn in a national semifinal.

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Turning point

After a stretch late in the second quarter that irritated Close because her team made careless turnovers and didn’t rebound well, the Bruins came out with a quick burst to surge into a 17-point lead early in the third quarter.

After a Charlisse Leger-Walker steal led to a Betts layup in transition, UCLA was up 48-31 and Washington called a timeout. The Bruins were well on their way to a 20th consecutive victory.

MVP

Betts put together another superb performance, routinely scoring over double teams and contributing across the board.

She snagged eight rebounds to go with her game-high scoring total, nearly giving her a double-double in only 25 minutes. She added two assists and two blocks.

Up next

The Bruins’ game against Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon will be the home finale for seniors Betts, Leger-Walker, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens and Angela Dugalic in what figures to be an emotional sendoff.

“If you aren’t in the building Sunday,” Close said during a postgame interview with radio announcer Dave Marcus, “you’re missing out.”

Senior forward Timea Gardiner will return next season after being sidelined by a knee injury.