SPOCANE, Wash. — Lauren Betts scored 17 points and seven rebounds despite spending the entire second quarter on the bench, and the top of seeded UCLA reached the first final four of the women’s NCAA tournament, winning LSU 72-65 on Sunday.
The 6-foot-7 Betts adds six blocks to the Bruins (34–2) and faces the winner of Monday’s game between Southern California and Turmeric. The last four are Friday nights in Tampa, Florida.
Gabriella Jaquez had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Bruins, and Timey Gardiner finished with 15 points, earning a slack that Betts went to the bench after committing two first-quarter fouls.
“My teammates have kept it down while I’m out,” Betts said at the trophy ceremony.
UCLA won the national title in 1978 during the pre-NCAA era of women’s basketball, which was the first NCAA region victory with three tries.
LSU senior forward Anesa Morrow’s nose was bloody in a clash with teammate Summer Smith, but she went back to the Tigers’ final game without face protection and scored 15 points.
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Flau’jae Johnson scored 28 points to lead third seed LSU (31–6). This won the national title under coach Kim Mulkey two years ago, but is now eliminated in the last two Elite Eights.
The Tigers closed within 46-41 and began the fourth quarter. Betts’ layup extended the Bruins’ lead to 56-45, at 6:54.
Johnson’s layups spurred the Tigers within 56-52 with 3:24 left, spurring “LSU! LSU!” A chant from the crowd. However, the Tigers couldn’t get close, and Jaquez made the remaining 3 pointers at 1:30, sealing off all the Bruins’ victory over the team that eliminated them from last year’s Sweet 16.
“You have to be a ready shooter, whether Lauren is kicking it out,” said Jaquez, who plays for the Miami Heat after his older brother Jaime Jaquez Jr. appeared at UCLA. “I always have to be ready. I knew that was the right shot I needed to take. I’m confident in myself when I shoot. I did the job.”
Betts is a match-up nightmare for a team with skilled and skilled towering over the post, performing 31 points and 10 rebounds in the Sweet 16, and 30 points and 14 efforts in the second round. She is one of three players who have at least 30 points in tournaments and multiple games on 10 boards in the past 25 seasons.
“Betts didn’t beat us,” Markey said. “We protected her as tough as possible. We didn’t take advantage of her being off the floor in the second quarter, and allowed boundary 3 and others to step up.”
The Bruins jumped out early, but the Tigers had an edge of 13-9 in the second quarter. The Bruins closed with a 3-pointer for Gardiner and ran 6-0 to score a 23-17 lead.
The Bruins held themselves without Betts and headed for 31–25 at halftime. Gardiner scored nine points in the opening half.
“I’m totally confident in them,” Betts said of her teammates. “Obviously, I’m even more upset about having two fouls. But this is what we’re talking about when we say we have a deep team. I don’t have to be in the game all the time.
Betts began the second half and extended the Bruins’ lead with a layup. The Londonn Jones went from 36 to 25 with 3 pointers.
UCLA pushed 14 points ahead of the 8-1 LSU run, closing the gap at 44-37. At one point, UCLA coach Cori Close cried out to her team “Execute!”
Moreau was injured in the third quarter with the rest of 1:22. She was saved from the coat with a towel in her face and went to the locker room, but went back to start the fourth. ESPN reported that Moreau’s nose had broken during the game, but she said that wasn’t the case since.
Wide open
Markie pointed out that LSU has overtaken UCLA 43-38, but the Bruins went to the line 20 times in contrast to the Tigers’ 10.
“You have to go back and see the shots you missed, just the ones that were open,” Markie said, shaking his head.
Well, actually…
Close immediately pointed out UCLA’s previous national semi-final appearances in 1978 and ’79. Women’s basketball was dominated by the Intercollegiate Athletics Association for Women. Dennis Curry and Debbie Halliday, who played for the title-winning team, were present.
“We had some of the alumni here from that team,” Close said. “There were so many other alumni, so I just wanted to give them flowers.”
By Anne M. Peterson
