Tag: Lauren Betts UCLA

UCLA win over Indiana was comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time

UCLA was solid but not spectacular. Indiana played poorly. The Bruins won, but they did not get the best game from their opponent.

On the scoreboard, UCLA women’s basketball notched a relatively comfortable win over Indiana in an early-afternoon game in Bloomington. The Bruins handled a multi-time-zone road trip fairly smoothly in terms of the flow and scoreline of the game. UCLA and Lauren Betts led by 12 at halftime, by 12 at the end of the third quarter, by 12 with four minutes left in the game. They were steadily in the lead by seven or more points. The final score: 73-62.

Indiana never got especially close down the stretch. The Hoosiers pulled within 10 with under four minutes remaining. That was as close as IU got until the final 45 seconds, when IU moved within nine. This was a clear-cut and decisive win for the Bruins.

UCLA did not have to deal with any late-game drama or stress. This was a smooth ride to the finish line purely in terms of scoreboard pressure, because there wasn’t any to be found in Assembly Hall. To that extent, UCLA did what it was supposed to do, and we don’t need to make too much of a case about it.

However: Indiana did not play well or shoot well. The Hoosiers missed a lot of open and makeable shots. They made only four 3-pointers. Some of them were contested by UCLA defenders, but others were open. Indiana played this game knowing it had to shoot really well to win. Hoosier shooters squeezed the ball tightly and did not relax. UCLA does exert that kind of pressure on opponents. The Bruins are so good and so physically formidable that opponents put pressure on themselves to be perfect, and they often fail to finish plays against UCLA’s size and length. UCLA won on Saturday in a way it will win many more times this season: The opponent realizes every possession is so important that it nervously shoots the ball and can’t finish plays.

There’s nothing wrong with winning because the opponent fails, but that’s the lesson here: What happens when the opponent is relaxed and does play better?

UCLA will need to be ready when that happens, especially on the road.

Lauren Betts’ passing makes UCLA tough to beat

Lauren Betts scores, blocks shots, and rebounds. She also passes out of double-teams, which makes UCLA especially lethal.

On Wednesday against Michigan, UCLA women’s basketball superstar Lauren Betts reminded everyone why she is one of the best players in the sport. Her stat line in the 86-70 win over the Wolverines included 13 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, and 2 steals. Yet, the item which stands out as particularly impressive: five assists.

Watching the Michigan game — and watching UCLA’s offense in general — is instructive because Betts naturally commands so much attention as a skilled low-post player with the size needed to play over the top of a smaller defender. Michigan, like other teams, naturally tries to double-team Betts whenever possible and get the ball out of her hands. The five assists were important in the Michigan game because it is so hugely important for Betts to be able to pass out of double-teams and find cutters. Being able to do this consistently unlocks the rest of the UCLA offense because it tells opponents they will pay for double-teaming Betts.

Coach Cori Close did a good job of structuring the offense in the Michigan game to create cutting lanes when other Bruins, chiefly Betts, were doubled. With Betts dropping five dimes and Kiki Rice handing out 10 assists, it is clear that the UCLA offense was intent on finding the open player with the pass, cutting to the basket, and creating purposeful off-ball movement.

When UCLA scores 86 points, the Bruins are extremely unlikely to lose. Lauren Betts’ passing is a huge part of that.