Sienna and Lauren Betts reunite as UCLA women win

Over the last week and a half of apply, Coach Cori Close challenged her group to work on their consistency, their physicality and their capacity to defend with pleasure. She desires her group to play to the usual they’re identified for.

With a dominant efficiency on both sides of the court, including 46 rebounds and 19 steals, the UCLA women’s basketball group beat Cal Poly 115-28 on Tuesday at Pauley Pavilion, the Bruins demonstrated the potential they will attain on the court.

“We still have work to do, we still have some improvements that need to happen, but I thought we were more consistently playing with intention, connectivity, and discipline,” she said. “I think it’s the first time all year we’ve hid all of our angles.”

The UCLA (10-1) protection held the Mustangs (2-8) to single digit scoring in the last three quarters and compelled 31 turnovers. The Bruins scored 59 factors off turnovers. Senior Lauren Betts earned her third double-double of the season with 20 factors and 10 rebounds while Kiki Rice led the group with 23 factors and missed out on her own double-double by two rebounds.

Since her return from a Team USA training camp last week, Rice observed a change in Lauren’s physicality and aggression on the court.

“She’s definitely brought back a lot,” Rice added.

Freshman Sienna Betts, the No. 2 recruit from the 2025 class, performed her first minutes with the Bruins, sharing the court with her sister for the first time for UCLA. She scored her first discipline aim in the fourth to give the Bruins their first 100-point sport since December 2024 against Long Beach State, which they may face on Sunday.

Sienna first received on the scoreboard in the first quarter with a move to, who else but Lauren as she was driving to the basket.

“This is something that we’ve kind of grown up dreaming about,” Lauren said. “To be at this level and to be on the court with her is just really amazing.”

As Sienna checks off the first steps of her return to the court, Close desires Sienna not to obsess over the errors she had in the sport.

“I just need to have her focused on forward and growth and not beat herself up for what she didn’t do or what she missed out on,” Close said. “The best is yet to come.”

Sienna grabbed her first factors in her collegiate profession off the free-throw line and completed the sport with 5 factors and two assists while enjoying under restricted minutes after lacking the first half of the season with a leg injury.

The No. 4 Bruins closed the second quarter with 27 unanswered factors, punctuated by a three-pointer by Angela Dugalić at the buzzer.

The Bruins completed the sport with 5 gamers scoring in double digits. By the end of the third quarter, UCLA held a 70-point lead.

It was déjà vu for the Mustangs, who misplaced to the Bruins 69-37, precisely a 12 months in the past. Cal Poly was without main scorer Vanessa McManus.

It was a tough process to discover opponents this season, no one needed to play against them, Close said.

“[Cal Poly is] young, and they’re injured right now, but I think they had a great perspective and they kept playing hard all the way through.”

Close emphasised the difficulties of creating a balanced schedule that will give her group the reps needed to get them to a championship. With a large lead proper off the back and ending the sport with the fourth-largest margin in their historical past, she needed her group to continue to press aggressively throughout the sport.

“I want to be respectful and coach our team to the standards that we have for ourselves at the same time,” she said, “that’s our goal.”