Lauren Betts leads the UCLA after the Mississippi, in Elite Eight – Orange County Register

By Anne M. Peterson Sports writer AP

Spokane, Washington – Lauren Betts was so dominant inside that she barely missed, marking 31 points out of 15 shots out of 16 to lead the Mississippi of the UCLA, 76-62, Friday evening and send the Bruins to the elite eight of the NCAA female tournament for the first time since 2018.

The 6 -foot 7 -inch Betts added 10 rebounds and three shots blocked for the overall seed n ° 1, which will face LSU on Sunday to have the chance to pass in the Final Four. The third seeded tigers defeated the seeded n ° 2 NC State, 80-73, earlier on Friday.

Kiki Rice added 13 points and seven assists and was the only other two-digit player for Bruins (32-2).

Tameiya Sadler scored 14 points for the fifth seed rebels (22-10), who had reached the elite eight five times, but not since 2007.

Betts had a similar line – 30 points and 14 rebounds – during the 84-67 Bruins victory in the second round against Richmond.

Ole Miss defeated Baylor on her floor to reach Sweet 16 for the second time in the past three years. In 2023, the rebels upset Stanford in the second round before falling in Louisville.

The Betts lay-up placed the Bruins in advance 19-10 in the first quarter, but Ole Miss closed in the 21-19 on the rider of KK Deans.

The rapid development of Deans at the end of the first half obtained the rebels in the 30-29 at the break.

The Bruins opened the second half with a race of 8-0 and increased by 45-33 on a pointer at 3 Londynn Jones.

Gabriela Jaquez was alone on a fast lay-up that put the UCLA at 63-46 at the last quarter, and Ole Miss never threatened after that.

Betts scored 16 of the 30 points of the UCLA in the first half, the second time this season that she scored more than half of the points of the Bruins in half.

She has 93 blocks this season, with an average of almost three per game, and was appointed defensive player of the big ten of the year.

The two defeats of the UCLA this season came against Juju Watkins and USC before the Bruins took revenge in the match for the title of the Big Ten tournament, beating the USC 72-67.

The best -classified Trojan horses will also play in Spokane, facing the state of Kansas, fifth seeded on Saturday. It will be their first full match without Watkins, who torn the ACL on the right knee during the first quarter of a 96-59 victory in the second round on the state of Mississippi.

More to come to this story.