UCLA’s defense reigns supreme to defeat Minnesota and advance to Elite Eight

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – No. 1-seeded UCLA advanced to the Elite Eight after taking down the Minnesota Golden Gophers 80-56 in Sacramento on Friday, but on a night that their offense failed them often, it was the defense that reigned supreme, particularly from some unexpected sources. 

The physical intensity was apparent from the jump. The Bruins came out hard and grabbed two steals in the first two minutes of the game. Their tenacity was spearheaded by senior center Lauren Betts, who carried a different kind of energy with her to Golden 1 Center. 

Betts Showing Edge

Betts has never been shy to show emotion or celebrate on the court. But this time there was an edge to her. She came in with something to prove and after Friday, it’s clear she’s not letting anyone get in her way.

“I think March does bring a different level of excitement out of me. I mean, this is my last go at this, so I just really want this for my team," Betts said. “I’m gonna bring whatever aggressive mentality I can and hope that it spreads to my teammates."

Still, as much as the Bruins were creating opportunities on the defensive end, they weren’t able to translate that into offense. There was an excess of energy that made them excellent defenders, but was making them overzealous in their offensive execution. 

The biggest issue was layups. The Bruins were missing wide open opportunities under the rim and either overshooting the hoop or banking it too hard against the backboard. 

Their troubles persisted until graduate forward Angela Dugalic rotated into the game and landed a hook shot layup of her own to restore order to the floor.

Beyond that, the next glaring issue on the offensive end was the three ball. UCLA missed their first seven three point attempts until freshman guard/forward Lena Bilic snapped the drought with a corner three after being sent on the floor with one goal: shoot. 

Lena Bilic Steps Up

“You can tell that her teammates are really excited about her and for her," Close said of Bilic. “Same thing in the Oklahoma State game. She came in and had some really important plays, hit some big shots, had great defensive play. That’s what I like the most."

UCLA still finished the game just 4-16 from three point range, but the Golden Gophers were a much different story. Minnesota caught fire from three and finished the game shooting 50% from beyond the arc, though that percentage was as high as 60% at the half.

Offensively, UCLA’s typically stellar guards were quiet to start the game. Senior guards Gianna Kneepkens and Kiki Rice and graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker combined for just 12 points in the first half, while it was UCLA’s bigs in Betts and Dugalic that carried the load. 

The value they provided on the defensive end, though, could not be overstated. 

“We definitely tightened up defensively," head coach Cori Close said. “One of the things I was most proud of today: we did not shoot it very well and we didn’t let missed shots… dictate our defensive intensity."

That defense persisted throughout the game and even with the Golden Gophers’s onslaught from beyond the arc, the Bruins’ offense eventually caught up with their defense, and they took off on a second half surge led by Rice, who finished the game with a game-leading 21 points, to outscore the Golden Gophers by 19 to close the game.