Rice, Betts lead No. 3 UCLA women past Minnesota for 10th straight win

MINNEAPOLIS — Kiki Rice had 25 points on 8-for-9 shooting and Lauren Betts posted her third straight double-double, leading the third-ranked UCLA women’s basketball team past Minnesota, 76-58, on Wednesday night.

Betts staved off early foul trouble to finish with 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Bruins (16-1 overall, 6-0 Big Ten) stayed unbeaten in conference play and pushed their winning streak to 10 straight games. Their only loss was to No. 4 Texas in Las Vegas on Nov. 26.

Rice hit all three of her 3-point attempts to make the Gophers pay for packing the paint, as the Bruins shot 60% from the floor (27 for 45) against the top defensive team in the nation. UCLA had by far the highest final score in a regulation game this season against Minnesota, which was allowing an average of 51.8 points per game entering the night.

The Gophers lost, 100-99, in double overtime to then-No. 7 Maryland on Dec. 7. They beat then-No. 21 USC, 63-62, on Sunday for the program’s first win over a ranked team since 2019.

Amaya Battle scored 16 points and Mara Braun added 15 points for the Gophers (12-5, 3-3), who forced 17 turnovers but managed only three fast-break points.

As the Bruins have charged through a challenging start to their Big Ten schedule, Betts has been a force all over the floor – and especially around the basket.

The AP Preseason All-American had 18 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and four blocked shots on Sunday in a win at now-No. 24 Nebraska, one of four opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the game and one of four road games for UCLA in a six-game stretch that began after the holiday break.

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UCLA hosts No. 12 Maryland on Sunday at 1 p.m.