University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Wednesday, January 28
Urbana-Champaign, IL
4 p.m. PT
UCLA
20-1,10-0Big Ten
80
at
67
Illinois
15-6,5-5Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
UCLA
23
22
11
24
80
Illinois
16
15
18
18
67
Photo by: UCLA Athletics
No. 2 Bruins Hold Off Illinois, 80-67
January 28, 2026 | Women's Basketball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 2 UCLA (20-1, 10-0 B1G) fended off Illinois (15-6, 5-5 B1G) inside the State Farm Center on Wednesday to remain perfect in Big Ten play.
Senior Lauren Betts led the way with 23 points on the evening; she shot 7-for-9 from the free throw line and finished one rebound shy of a double-double. Sienna Betts contributed 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed six boards to pick up the slack when her older sister was in first half foul trouble.
The Bruins shot 85.2 percent from the free throw line, marking the third-consecutive game over 84 percent on freebies. UCLA outrebounded Illinois 39-25 on the night and edged out the Fighting Illini 13-11 on the offensive glass. The Bruins put up 48 points in the paint in the win.
Six Bruins got into double figures; Sienna Betts (10) was the first to get there before the break. The Betts sisters were joined by graduate students Angela Dugalić (12) and Gianna Kneepkens (10), and seniors Gabriela Jaquez (11) and Kiki Rice (10).
The Fighting Illini got on the board first but Kneepkens answered with a midrange jump shot on UCLA's third trip down the court. She found Lauren Betts for a 15-footer and Kneepkens' first assist of the night. The elder Betts sister converted an and-one free throw following a lane violation by the Illini after drawing a foul on a turnaround jumper over two defenders, giving UCLA its first lead of the game at 8-5.
Kneepkens got three from an and-one on the next possession; the graduate guard is shooting 23-for-24 (.958 FT%) from the free throw line this season.
Jaquez got on the board for two, taking her defender downhill for a contested look at the rim. Out of the media timeout, Jaquez drew a foul and knocked down both of her bonus free throws. Sienna Betts subbed in and got to work; she backed her defender down for a pair of looks and makes at the cup for four-consecutive points for UCLA. Jaquez drew another off-ball foul on a cut and went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe. She then fed Dugalić on the block for a paint bucket.
Lauren Betts found herself in foul trouble with three in the first quarter after receiving a technical following a shooting foul; Amanda Muse checked in and got to work, fighting for an offensive rebound that finished with an Illinois foul and two makes at the free throw line for the backup center.
UCLA led 23-16 at the end of one.
Jaquez got another pair of free throws to get UCLA's first two points in the second. Leger-Walker received a ball in the corner, driving baseline for a reverse layup for her first make of the night. Another trip to the line for Jaquez resulted in two freebies for the senior; she shot 7-for-8 from the line in the first half. Sienna Betts got two more baskets to drop before she assisted Dugalić down low.
The Bruins held an 11-point lead, 35-24, at the media break in the second quarter.
Lena Bilić came up with a steal and pushed the ball to Jaquez, who found Dugalić on the block. The Serbian senior national team member fought through contact and converted her and-one free throw after making the paint basket.
Dugalić got another look at the rim but her miss found its way into Rice's hands for the offensive board and a putback layup. Leger-Walker used Sienna Betts in the pick-and-roll, finding the freshman for an open layup. Sienna Betts was the first Bruin in double figures with 10. Kneepkens knocked down a 3-pointer on a second-chance look thanks to Jaquez's offensive rebound, the first Bruin long-range make before the break.
UCLA took a 14-point advantage into the break, leading the Fighting Illini 45-31.
Lauren Betts returned to action after halftime and scored UCLA's first four points of the third with a hook shot and pair of free throws. Rice used Lauren Betts in a screen action for a side-stepping midrange jump shot, cashing in from 17 feet.
The Fighting Illini put together a 7-0 run to get the game back in a single-digit margin before Lauren Betts fought back; the center battled her way under the rim and drew a shooting foul, making one of her two attempts. She got back to the block and scored the final two buckets under the two minute mark for UCLA.
Lauren Betts had nine of UCLA's 11 points in the third; UCLA led 56-49 heading into the final frame.
Dugalić joined the Betts sisters in double figures with her first make in the fourth; she curled to the basket after feeding Lauren Betts on the block in a give-and-go, finishing over an Illini defender for an and-one.
Jaquez corralled an errant shot by Lauren Betts, and geared up for a downhill drive from the elbow; the Camarillo, Calif., native got into double figures attacking the rim. She got a block on the other end to help reignite UCLA's defensive pressure. Dugalić backed down a defender on the block and spun left, losing her cover for a left-hand layup. Sienna Betts rose to the left wing and received a ball from Rice before tossing it down to her older sister on the block; Lauren Betts spun and got a reverse layup to put UCLA up 14 with just over six minutes to play.
Lauren Betts drew another shooting foul on the first play out of the media timeout; she knocked down both to subdue a pair of Illini baskets. The center went back to work and took her defender one-on-one, burying her under the rim for her seventh make of the game. Lauren Betts had 21 points after the make.
Leger-Walker threw up a heave with time winding down; her airball found its way into Lauren Betts' hands before the shot clock expired and the center got a shot off with a tenth of a second to go. Rice got a pair of rebounds that turned into Illini fouls. She hit the first three shots but missed the final; Rice tracked down her miss for an offensive rebound and got to the rim again. She made the layup through contact for an and-one layup, converting the final free throw of the game to give UCLA the 80-67 victory.
UP NEXT: vs. No. 8 Iowa (Feb. 1)
The Bruins return to Los Angeles for a top-10 matchup against No. 8-ranked Iowa on Sunday, Feb. 1, inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial.
UCLA-Iowa tips off at 1 p.m. on FOX.
Senior Lauren Betts led the way with 23 points on the evening; she shot 7-for-9 from the free throw line and finished one rebound shy of a double-double. Sienna Betts contributed 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed six boards to pick up the slack when her older sister was in first half foul trouble.
The Bruins shot 85.2 percent from the free throw line, marking the third-consecutive game over 84 percent on freebies. UCLA outrebounded Illinois 39-25 on the night and edged out the Fighting Illini 13-11 on the offensive glass. The Bruins put up 48 points in the paint in the win.
Six Bruins got into double figures; Sienna Betts (10) was the first to get there before the break. The Betts sisters were joined by graduate students Angela Dugalić (12) and Gianna Kneepkens (10), and seniors Gabriela Jaquez (11) and Kiki Rice (10).
The Fighting Illini got on the board first but Kneepkens answered with a midrange jump shot on UCLA's third trip down the court. She found Lauren Betts for a 15-footer and Kneepkens' first assist of the night. The elder Betts sister converted an and-one free throw following a lane violation by the Illini after drawing a foul on a turnaround jumper over two defenders, giving UCLA its first lead of the game at 8-5.
Count it! AND-OOOOOOONNNNNEEEE ?????????
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 29, 2026
??: B1G+#GoBruins | @laurenbetts12 pic.twitter.com/D4pLm5clef
Kneepkens got three from an and-one on the next possession; the graduate guard is shooting 23-for-24 (.958 FT%) from the free throw line this season.
Jaquez got on the board for two, taking her defender downhill for a contested look at the rim. Out of the media timeout, Jaquez drew a foul and knocked down both of her bonus free throws. Sienna Betts subbed in and got to work; she backed her defender down for a pair of looks and makes at the cup for four-consecutive points for UCLA. Jaquez drew another off-ball foul on a cut and went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe. She then fed Dugalić on the block for a paint bucket.
Lauren Betts found herself in foul trouble with three in the first quarter after receiving a technical following a shooting foul; Amanda Muse checked in and got to work, fighting for an offensive rebound that finished with an Illinois foul and two makes at the free throw line for the backup center.
UCLA led 23-16 at the end of one.
Jaquez got another pair of free throws to get UCLA's first two points in the second. Leger-Walker received a ball in the corner, driving baseline for a reverse layup for her first make of the night. Another trip to the line for Jaquez resulted in two freebies for the senior; she shot 7-for-8 from the line in the first half. Sienna Betts got two more baskets to drop before she assisted Dugalić down low.
Baseline threat! A beautiful bucket from Char ??
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 29, 2026
??: B1G+#GoBruins | @Char_legerwalks pic.twitter.com/PeOwNWcdlm
The Bruins held an 11-point lead, 35-24, at the media break in the second quarter.
Lena Bilić came up with a steal and pushed the ball to Jaquez, who found Dugalić on the block. The Serbian senior national team member fought through contact and converted her and-one free throw after making the paint basket.
Dugalić got another look at the rim but her miss found its way into Rice's hands for the offensive board and a putback layup. Leger-Walker used Sienna Betts in the pick-and-roll, finding the freshman for an open layup. Sienna Betts was the first Bruin in double figures with 10. Kneepkens knocked down a 3-pointer on a second-chance look thanks to Jaquez's offensive rebound, the first Bruin long-range make before the break.
Brick wall badge activated ??
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 29, 2026
??: B1G+#GoBruins | @Char_legerwalks x @SiennaBetts pic.twitter.com/OS5yJPB4jw
UCLA took a 14-point advantage into the break, leading the Fighting Illini 45-31.
Lauren Betts returned to action after halftime and scored UCLA's first four points of the third with a hook shot and pair of free throws. Rice used Lauren Betts in a screen action for a side-stepping midrange jump shot, cashing in from 17 feet.
Splash ??????
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 29, 2026
??: B1G+#GoBruins | @kiki_rice0 pic.twitter.com/ovPFpTqA7V
The Fighting Illini put together a 7-0 run to get the game back in a single-digit margin before Lauren Betts fought back; the center battled her way under the rim and drew a shooting foul, making one of her two attempts. She got back to the block and scored the final two buckets under the two minute mark for UCLA.
Lauren refuses to be denied ??????
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 29, 2026
??: B1G+#GoBruins | @laurenbetts12 pic.twitter.com/QbVXmd7oNR
Lauren Betts had nine of UCLA's 11 points in the third; UCLA led 56-49 heading into the final frame.
Dugalić joined the Betts sisters in double figures with her first make in the fourth; she curled to the basket after feeding Lauren Betts on the block in a give-and-go, finishing over an Illini defender for an and-one.
Jaquez corralled an errant shot by Lauren Betts, and geared up for a downhill drive from the elbow; the Camarillo, Calif., native got into double figures attacking the rim. She got a block on the other end to help reignite UCLA's defensive pressure. Dugalić backed down a defender on the block and spun left, losing her cover for a left-hand layup. Sienna Betts rose to the left wing and received a ball from Rice before tossing it down to her older sister on the block; Lauren Betts spun and got a reverse layup to put UCLA up 14 with just over six minutes to play.
"Hi, Lo!" - Sienna on this high-low pass, probably.
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 29, 2026
??: B1G+#GoBruins | @SiennaBetts x @laurenbetts12 pic.twitter.com/brEv10yQ0n
Lauren Betts drew another shooting foul on the first play out of the media timeout; she knocked down both to subdue a pair of Illini baskets. The center went back to work and took her defender one-on-one, burying her under the rim for her seventh make of the game. Lauren Betts had 21 points after the make.
Leger-Walker threw up a heave with time winding down; her airball found its way into Lauren Betts' hands before the shot clock expired and the center got a shot off with a tenth of a second to go. Rice got a pair of rebounds that turned into Illini fouls. She hit the first three shots but missed the final; Rice tracked down her miss for an offensive rebound and got to the rim again. She made the layup through contact for an and-one layup, converting the final free throw of the game to give UCLA the 80-67 victory.
UP NEXT: vs. No. 8 Iowa (Feb. 1)
The Bruins return to Los Angeles for a top-10 matchup against No. 8-ranked Iowa on Sunday, Feb. 1, inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial.
UCLA-Iowa tips off at 1 p.m. on FOX.
Team Stats
UCLA
Illini
FG%
.500
.377
3FG%
.100
.412
FT%
.852
.778
RB
39
25
TO
13
9
STL
4
6
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
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