Lauren Betts Scores Over 1,500 Points as No. 4 UCLA Beats Penn State
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Lauren Betts scored 25 points, reaching a career milestone of over 1,500 points, as No. 4 UCLA cruised to a 97-61 victory against Penn State on Wednesday.
UCLA, now boasting a record of 13-1 and 3-0 in the Big Ten, has secured seven consecutive wins, leading for all but 31 seconds of the game. Gianna Kneepkens contributed 17 points, Kiki Rice added 16, and Sienna Betts chipped in 10.
The Bruins, who have averaged just over 95 points per game since a loss to the No. 2 Texas Longhorns on November 27, displayed strong offensive performance right from the start in Rec Hall. Lauren Betts opened the scoring with a layup in the first seconds, igniting a series of scoring runs for the visitors.
Kneepkens hit consecutive three-pointers shortly thereafter, including another long-range shot that helped UCLA jump to a 13-2 lead less than three minutes into the game. Although Penn State (7-7, 0-3) attempted to respond with a couple of baskets, Kneepkens scored yet again to close the first quarter with a 14-5 run, as the Bruins shot 58% from the field.
The game continued to tilt heavily in UCLA’s favor, with the Bruins holding a commanding 46-23 lead at halftime and extending the margin to as much as 37 points in the fourth quarter.
Gracie Merkle and Kiyomi McMiller led Penn State’s efforts with 15 and 13 points, respectively. The defeat marked a challenging statistic for Penn State, which has now lost 15 of its last 16 matchups against teams ranked in the Associated Press top 10 since head coach Carolyn Kieger’s arrival in 2019.
Looking ahead, UCLA is set to face No. 17 USC at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday night.
