COLLEGE PARK, MD – No. 1 UCLA (20-0, 8-0) defeated no. 8 Maryland (16-4, 6-3) 82-67 in what began as a tight matchup that turned into a second-half blowout.
The matchup was a test for the Bruins against another top ten opponent, and they did not disappoint.
The Bruins were held aloft by a huge performance from junior center Lauren Betts, who set a new career high for points in a game with 33 while reaching a massive milestone in the process: her 1,000th career point scored.
Betts was nearly perfect in the game. She shot 14-15 from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line.
It looked to be the Bruins toughest matchup yet in the first half. Neither team was able to gain ground in the first quarter, with the largest lead in the quarter going to the Bruins, who closed out the first ahead
The Bruins padded their lead some in the second, going up by as much as 12 with 5:11 remaining in the second half courtesy of a layup from Betts.
However, the Terrapins rallied right back, outsourcing the Bruins 12-2 across the next two-and-a-half minutes to cut the lead down to just 35-33. The Bruins still led throughout the quarter and went into halftime leading 39-34, but it was still just a two possession game, easily in reach for the Terrapins.
UCLA junior guard Kiki Rice turned in a great performance of her own, scoring 19 while shooting 5-10 from the field. Rice and Betts were the lone Bruins to score double-digits in the match.
The Bruins set the tone early in the second half, and stopped the Terrapins in their tracks.
UCLA started the third quarter with a 10-2 scoring run to add on to their lead 49-36. That started the momentum swing the Bruins needed, and the tight score margins of the first half were gone. The Bruins finished the third quarter up 65-48.
Betts put in a layup in the third quarter to add to the Bruins’ lead 51-38, but the layup had even more significance outside of the game: it was Betts’ 1,000th career point scored.
Once the Bruins started rolling, they didn't stop. They led by as much as 25 in the fourth quarter, their largest lead of the night. Even after the Bruins took their foot off the gas at the end and went scoreless through the final three minutes of the game, they had built up their lead so much that it didn’t matter.
The Terrapins went on a 10-0 run in the final minutes and brought the lead down, but it was still victory for the Bruins 82-67.
UCLA returns home for their next matchup against Minnesota at Pauley Pavilion Sunday, Feb. 2 at noon.