Wednesday, December 31
University Park, PA
11 a.m. PT
UCLA
13-1,3-0Big Ten
97
at
61
Penn State
7-7,0-3Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
UCLA
29
17
25
26
97
Penn St.
12
11
13
25
61
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
No. 4 UCLA Earns New Year’s Eve Victory, 97-61, at Penn State
December 31, 2025 | Women's Basketball
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 4-ranked UCLA improves to 13-1 (3-0 B1G) with a 97-61 road win at Penn State (7-7, 0-3 B1G) on New Year's Eve.
Senior Lauren Betts led all scorers with 25 points (11-19 FG, 3-4 FT) and tied Gabriela Jaquez with a game-high seven rebounds. Four Bruins got into double digits: Lauren Betts, Gianna Kneepkens (17 PTS, 6-9 FG), Kiki Rice (16 PTS, 5-9 FG), and Sienna Betts (10 PTS, 2-2 FT).
The Bruins assisted on 27 of the 36 made baskets Wednesday; graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker had a game-high eight helpers with zero turnovers to her name.
Kneepkens lit it up from long range, finishing with five made 3-pointers in seven attempts. Rice added six assists and four rebounds to her totals.
Lauren Betts got in the paint for the first bucket of the game, setting an early tone. Jaquez followed that with a paint touch, but the wing launched a pass to Kneepkens on the right wing for an open 3-pointer. Rice connected on a 3-pointer in transition thanks to another Jaquez assist. Lauren Betts made a pair of free throws after getting fouled down low; her first-made free throw got her 1,500-career points. Kneepkens got free for another 3-pointer, giving UCLA its first double-digit lead of the game, 13-2.
The Bruins shot 4-for-5 in the first 2:43 of gameplay, forcing the Lady Lions to call for an early timeout.
Rice came out of the timeout attacking the basket, earning an and-one opportunity. Kneepkens lost the defense on a screen, shooting and hitting her third 3-pointer on as many tries. Lena Bilić leaked out in transition for an easy layup to beat the full-court press.
Following a Lady Lion turnover on the baseline, Leger-Walker found Jaquez for an and-one layup with the inbound pass under the basket. Lauren Betts faced up from the elbow and cashed in a mid-range jumper to extend UCLA's lead to 16. The 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year had 10 points in the first period.
Bruins led 29-12 at the end of the opening quarter.
UCLA's high-powered offense stalled in the second until graduate student Angela Dugalić got away from the zone for an open triple, setting the Bruins off for an 11-0 run. Leger-Walker found Lauren Betts in stride to help get the Bruins back on track. Dugalić then knocked down a pair of free throws.
Out of the media timeout, Rice called Amanda Muse's number for a pick-and-roll; the point guard flipped a pass to the cutting redshirt sophomore for Muse's first bucket of the day. Muse flew in to clean up an offensive rebound on the next possession, putting back an immediate layup for another made basket.
Lauren Betts got another look at the basket for a layup, then Rice hit a pair of free throws after an offensive rebound. The center slipped from the block to the elbow as a driving Leger-Walker made her way to the hoop; the Kiwi point guard threw a pass over the post defender's head to Lauren Betts, who connected on another jump shot with time running down.
UCLA's lead expanded to 23 at the break, doubling the score of the Lady Lions, 46-23.
Kneepkens was wide open under the basket on the first play of the second half and found by Leger-Walker. The point guard hit Jaquez with a bounce pass after the wing slipped her screen and got a free layup.
Leger-Walker hit her lone jump shot of the day off a Lauren Betts dribble handoff at the free throw line. Sienna Betts kept the pressure on with her first basket, backing down a Lady Lion big and stepping back for a fadeaway at the block. Rice lost her defender at the free throw line with a side step, shooting and connecting on the midrange jumper.
Lauren Betts posted up in single coverage and received an entry pass from Rice; the center made a quick move to the basket after the catch and fought through contact for an and-one finish. Rice hesitated and held onto the ball, dribbling into the open floor past Penn State's zone, to find another midrange make and get into double-digit scoring (11).
Sienna Betts had a trio of baskets and Kneepkens got a triple to fall, outscoring Penn State 9-0 in the final two minutes of the third quarter. UCLA led 71-36 going into the final frame.
The younger Betts got UCLA's first basket in the fourth, rolling to the rim off a Kneepkens assist. The Duluth, Minn., native then connected on a 3-pointer for her fifth make of the game. Lauren Betts broke a short drought outrunning the entire field and getting an open layup in transition.
After a successful appeal by the Bruin coaching staff, Jaquez got downhill and was fouled on a floater. She knocked down both attempts at the charity stripe. Sienna Betts battled in the post, drawing a foul for her first trip to the line Wednesday. The freshman forward got both shots to go, getting into double-digit scoring with the makes.
Christina Karamouzi received a pass on the right wing from Rice and took it to the hole; she pass faked to lose the defender and finished her first make through contact. Karamouzi then shot a high-arching 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net. Rice had five points in the final 90 seconds to bring her total just above her season average.
UP NEXT: vs. No. 17 USC (Jan. 3)
The No. 4-ranked Bruins host rival USC – ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll – on Saturday, Jan. 3 inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial.
Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. PT; the game will be broadcast on Peacock.
Limited lower bowl seating for Saturday's game has been released to the general public; Bruin fans can purchase tickets to the rivalry game here.
Senior Lauren Betts led all scorers with 25 points (11-19 FG, 3-4 FT) and tied Gabriela Jaquez with a game-high seven rebounds. Four Bruins got into double digits: Lauren Betts, Gianna Kneepkens (17 PTS, 6-9 FG), Kiki Rice (16 PTS, 5-9 FG), and Sienna Betts (10 PTS, 2-2 FT).
The Bruins assisted on 27 of the 36 made baskets Wednesday; graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker had a game-high eight helpers with zero turnovers to her name.
Kneepkens lit it up from long range, finishing with five made 3-pointers in seven attempts. Rice added six assists and four rebounds to her totals.
Lauren Betts got in the paint for the first bucket of the game, setting an early tone. Jaquez followed that with a paint touch, but the wing launched a pass to Kneepkens on the right wing for an open 3-pointer. Rice connected on a 3-pointer in transition thanks to another Jaquez assist. Lauren Betts made a pair of free throws after getting fouled down low; her first-made free throw got her 1,500-career points. Kneepkens got free for another 3-pointer, giving UCLA its first double-digit lead of the game, 13-2.
The Bruins shot 4-for-5 in the first 2:43 of gameplay, forcing the Lady Lions to call for an early timeout.
g2g!
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) December 31, 2025
Gabs finds Gianna, you gotta go cover her! ??
??: @peacock #GoBruins | @gabrielarj11 x @giannakneepkens pic.twitter.com/PbQjI5nHAl
Rice came out of the timeout attacking the basket, earning an and-one opportunity. Kneepkens lost the defense on a screen, shooting and hitting her third 3-pointer on as many tries. Lena Bilić leaked out in transition for an easy layup to beat the full-court press.
Following a Lady Lion turnover on the baseline, Leger-Walker found Jaquez for an and-one layup with the inbound pass under the basket. Lauren Betts faced up from the elbow and cashed in a mid-range jumper to extend UCLA's lead to 16. The 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year had 10 points in the first period.
Bruins led 29-12 at the end of the opening quarter.
UCLA's high-powered offense stalled in the second until graduate student Angela Dugalić got away from the zone for an open triple, setting the Bruins off for an 11-0 run. Leger-Walker found Lauren Betts in stride to help get the Bruins back on track. Dugalić then knocked down a pair of free throws.
Zone breaker! Dugs gets the triple to go! ??
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) December 31, 2025
??: @peacock #GoBruins | @AngelaDugalić pic.twitter.com/uJvPNaeRn9
Out of the media timeout, Rice called Amanda Muse's number for a pick-and-roll; the point guard flipped a pass to the cutting redshirt sophomore for Muse's first bucket of the day. Muse flew in to clean up an offensive rebound on the next possession, putting back an immediate layup for another made basket.
Lauren Betts got another look at the basket for a layup, then Rice hit a pair of free throws after an offensive rebound. The center slipped from the block to the elbow as a driving Leger-Walker made her way to the hoop; the Kiwi point guard threw a pass over the post defender's head to Lauren Betts, who connected on another jump shot with time running down.
UCLA's lead expanded to 23 at the break, doubling the score of the Lady Lions, 46-23.
Kneepkens was wide open under the basket on the first play of the second half and found by Leger-Walker. The point guard hit Jaquez with a bounce pass after the wing slipped her screen and got a free layup.
Leger-Walker hit her lone jump shot of the day off a Lauren Betts dribble handoff at the free throw line. Sienna Betts kept the pressure on with her first basket, backing down a Lady Lion big and stepping back for a fadeaway at the block. Rice lost her defender at the free throw line with a side step, shooting and connecting on the midrange jumper.
That's tough, Si! ??????
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) December 31, 2025
??: @peacock #GoBruins | @SiennaBetts pic.twitter.com/KHnldGGGNn
Lauren Betts posted up in single coverage and received an entry pass from Rice; the center made a quick move to the basket after the catch and fought through contact for an and-one finish. Rice hesitated and held onto the ball, dribbling into the open floor past Penn State's zone, to find another midrange make and get into double-digit scoring (11).
Sienna Betts had a trio of baskets and Kneepkens got a triple to fall, outscoring Penn State 9-0 in the final two minutes of the third quarter. UCLA led 71-36 going into the final frame.
The younger Betts got UCLA's first basket in the fourth, rolling to the rim off a Kneepkens assist. The Duluth, Minn., native then connected on a 3-pointer for her fifth make of the game. Lauren Betts broke a short drought outrunning the entire field and getting an open layup in transition.
After a successful appeal by the Bruin coaching staff, Jaquez got downhill and was fouled on a floater. She knocked down both attempts at the charity stripe. Sienna Betts battled in the post, drawing a foul for her first trip to the line Wednesday. The freshman forward got both shots to go, getting into double-digit scoring with the makes.
Christina Karamouzi received a pass on the right wing from Rice and took it to the hole; she pass faked to lose the defender and finished her first make through contact. Karamouzi then shot a high-arching 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net. Rice had five points in the final 90 seconds to bring her total just above her season average.
UP NEXT: vs. No. 17 USC (Jan. 3)
The No. 4-ranked Bruins host rival USC – ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll – on Saturday, Jan. 3 inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial.
Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. PT; the game will be broadcast on Peacock.
Limited lower bowl seating for Saturday's game has been released to the general public; Bruin fans can purchase tickets to the rivalry game here.
Team Stats
UCLA
PSU
FG%
.529
.436
3FG%
.500
.211
FT%
.800
.692
RB
35
29
TO
8
18
STL
6
3
Game Leaders
Pts
25
FGM
11
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
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