University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
34-1,18-0Big Ten
Minnesota
24-9,13-5Big Ten
No. 1-Seed UCLA Returns to Elite Eight, Defeats Minnesota 80-56
March 27, 2026 | Women's Basketball
SACRAMENTO โ The No. 1-seed UCLA women's basketball team downed Big Ten foe Minnesota, 80-56, in its return to the Sweet 16 on Friday night. The Bruins advanced to the Elite Eight for the second-consecutive season with the victory at Golden 1 Center.
UCLA will take on No. 3-seed Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday, March 29, in Sacramento. Game time at Golden 1 Center is set for 12 p.m. (PT).
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Senior Kiki Rice led all scorers with 21 points in the win over Minnesota. She was perfect from the line (6-for-6, free throws) and shot 7-for-12 from the field. The Big Ten All-Defensive guard had three steals in the win.
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UCLA (34-1) assisted on 20 of its 32 makes and shot 52.5 percent from the field on the night (32-for-61, FGs). The Bruins won the battle of the boards and finished with a 37-31 advantage in their rebounding total over Minnesota (24-9).
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Senior Lauren Betts and graduate forward Angela Dugalic achieved career milestones in the win โ the Bruin center collected her 1000th-career rebound while Dugalic joined the 1000-career point club.
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The Bruins outscored the Golden Gophers in the paint, 52-22, and limited Minnesota to zero fast break points. UCLA had 13 points in transition.
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Lauren Betts won the opening tip, and two steals on the first two defensive possessions set the tone for the Bruins. Leger-Walker got downhill for UCLA's first score. Lauren Betts added a pair of baskets, hitting her signature spin and fade after receiving a pocket pass from Rice.
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The Bruins have clocked in! ???
โ UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 27, 2026
??: ESPN#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/Ju1Ry6hLoH
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Sienna Betts checked in and had an immediate impact out of the media break. The freshman forward corralled an offensive rebound and got fouled on the put-back attempt. Jaquez pushed the pace after flying in for a defensive board, eventually finding Kneepkens who passed to Dugalic for a deep post score. Rice added a pair of points from the charity stripe. She went behind her back and faded left to get a nasty mid-range jumper to fall. Lauren Betts finished through contact for UCLA's final score of the quarter.
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The Bruins were up on the Golden Gophers, 18-10, after one quarter.
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Dugalic held a hand high to get an offensive rebound and put-back score to open the second. She scored twice more, getting over 1,000-career points. Lauren Betts added a pair of points in the paint, as did Leger-Walker after going baseline for a layup.
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ANGELA! In the 1K club! ?????????
โ UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 28, 2026
??: ESPN#GoBruins | @AngelaDugalic pic.twitter.com/vyLLpaw85a
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Lauren Betts and Rice held off the Golden Gophers with back-to-back buckets; the center also added a second block to her stat line before half. Kneepkens lost her defender for a last-second layup to push the Bruins lead to five at the break. UCLA led 34-29 at the intermission.
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Dugalic and Lauren Betts had 10 points apiece at the half. They combined to shoot 10-for-12; Dugalic added five rebounds, the center had two blocks and a steal before heading to the locker room.
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Jaquez was rewarded for her defensive effort, receiving a transition bounce pass for a lay-in after stealing an errant Golden Gopher pass. Rice got out on the break after Lauren Betts locked down the paint, hopping through the defense for a score at the rim.
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THAT'S TOUGH, KI ??????
โ UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 28, 2026
??: ESPN#GoBruins | @kiki_rice0 pic.twitter.com/pouPe85FSG
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UCLA was fired up after forcing its second shot clock violation of the quarter. The Bruin defense stayed strong, blocking three shots in one possession. Jaquez scored on the next trip down. Lauren Betts showed off her mobility, spinning after receiving a Kneepkens pass cutting down the lane.
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Mobile. Big.
โ UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 28, 2026
??: ESPN#GoBruins | @giannakneepkens x @laurenbetts12 pic.twitter.com/STvF2Ta8uP
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Rice got into double figures at the free throw line, the third Bruin to get to 10 or more points. She added four more before the final break. Lena Bilic connected from the corner for UCLA's 3-pointer of the evening after receiving a pass from fellow freshman Sienna Betts.
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UCLA held a 12-point advantage after three, 53-41.
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Rice opened the fourth with a triple, then got to the rim on an out-of-bounds play to add two more. Lauren Betts blocked her fourth shot of the night before skipping a pass over to Kneepkens for another made 3-pointer. The center then got a look at the rim for two more. Jaquez joined three other Bruins in double figures with her and-one make before the final media timeout.
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Dugalic swiped the ball after Minnesota thought it secured a defensive board. Rice got another layup to fall after snagging her own miss, getting over 20 points for the second-consecutive time against the Golden Gophers. Sienna Betts added four points before the final buzzer; freshman Christina Karamouzi cashed a corner three for UCLA's last made basket of the evening.
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UP NEXT: Elite 8 (Sunday, March 29)
The Bruins will face No. 3-seed Duke on Sunday, March 29, at 12 p.m. (PT) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. UCLA's Elite Eight contest this Sunday will be nationally televised by ABC.
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This marks UCLA's second consecutive season advancing into the Elite Eight (regional final).
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