UCLA women battle through adversity to defeat Duke and reach the Final Four again
Lauren Betts finishes with 23 points as No. 1 UCLA surges in the second half to defeat No. 3 Duke 70-58 and advance to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.
UCLA guard Kiki Rice controls the ball in front of Duke center Arianna Roberson, left, during the first half of the Bruins' win in the Elite Eight of the NCAA women's basketball tournament on Sunday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times) During the UCLA women’s basketball team's dominant run all season, a question has lingered. When the moment comes, can the No.
1 Bruins actually deal with adversity? They answered on Sunday, storming back from their first double-digit deficit of the season to earn a 70-58 Elite Eight victory over No. 3 Duke and advance to the Final Four for the second straight year.
Read more: How Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gianna Kneepkens have elevated UCLA into title contenders Lauren Betts tallied 23 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, with 15 points and eight rebounds coming in the second half, while matching a season high five blocks. Angela Dugalic went four for eight with four rebounds and two steals in the second half and was the catalyst for many big moments, including a buzzer-beating floater to end the third quarter and a lead-extending layup and free throw off an offensive rebound to create separation in the fourth. She finished with 15 points off the bench.
UCLA turned on the aggression early in the third, taking deeper shots and forcing three jump balls and four turnovers as they came from behind in the second half for the first time all season. The Bruins outscored Duke 20-8 in the third quarter. UCLA center Lauren Betts drives to the basket over Duke forward Toby Fournier in the first half of the Bruins' win in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA tournament Sunday.