Lauren Betts, No. 2 UCLA overpower No. 13 Michigan State
Published February 12, 2026, 03:28 AM
UCLA guard Kiki Rice goes up for a shot in front of Michigan State guard Kennedy Blair, right, during the first half of their Big Ten game on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA forward Angela Dugalić (32), right, shoots against Michigan State guard Kennedy Blair (35) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Michigan State’s Marah Dykstra, from left, UCLA’s Lauren Betts (51), and Michigan State’s Kennedy Blair (35), Ines Sotelo (10) and Emma Shumate (5) fight for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez (11), center, shoots against Michigan State forward Grace Vanslooten (14), left, and Michigan State guard Amy Terrian, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Michigan State guard Kennedy Blair, left, UCLA forward Angela Dugalić, center, and Michigan State guard Emma Shumate, right, reach for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA guard Kiki Rice, center, shoots against Michigan State guard Rashunda Jones, left, and Michigan State center Ines Sotelo (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA forward Angela Dugalić (32), left, is pressured by Michigan State guard Rashunda Jones, right, and Michigan State forward Grace Vanslooten, rear, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA coach Cori Close yells instructions during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Michigan State, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1), left, shoots against Michigan State guard Rashunda Jones during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) pulls down a rebound against Michigan State forward Grace Vanslooten, rear, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Michigan State guard Kennedy Blair, left, and UCLA guard Kiki Rice wrestle for the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA center Lauren Betts shoots during the first half of a Big Ten game against Michigan State on Wednesday night in East Lansing, Mich. Betts had 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists in an 86-63 win. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA forward Sienna Betts (16), center, and Michigan State guard Kennedy Blair, second from right, chase the ball as UCLA forward Angela Dugalić (32), left, Michigan State forward Grace Vanslooten (14) and UCLA guard Kiki Rice, right, watch during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Michigan State forward Grace Vanslooten (14), top, shoots over UCLA forward Sienna Betts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA center Lauren Betts (51), center, shoots against Michigan State guard Emma Shumate, right, and Michigan State center Ines Sotelo, left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) maneuvers against Michigan State forward Grace Vanslooten (14), right, and guard Rashunda Jones, rear, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA forward Amanda Muse (33), right, and Michigan State center Ines Sotelo, left, fight for a rebound during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Michigan State guard Rashunda Jones (1) shoots against UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) reaches in to pressure Michigan State guard Kennedy Blair (35), right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Michigan State center Ines Sotelo (10), right, puts up a driving shot against UCLA forward Amanda Muse (33) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
UCLA guard Charlisse Leger-Walker (5), right, drives around pressure from Michigan State guard Rashunda Jones (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Michigan State guard Emma Shumate, right, and UCLA forward Angela Dugalić vie for a rebound during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
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UCLA guard Kiki Rice goes up for a shot in front of Michigan State guard Kennedy Blair, right, during the first half of their Big Ten game on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Ranked opponents. Home or away. Tricky travel schedules. None of it seems to slow the UCLA women’s basketball team.
Lauren Betts had 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists and No. 2 UCLA pushed its winning streak to 18 games by thumping No. 13 Michigan State, 86-63, on Wednesday night.
Kiki Rice finished with 18 points and seven rebounds for the Bruins (24-1 overall, 14-0 Big Ten). Gabriela Jaquez added 13 points, all in the first half, and Gianni Kneepkens chipped in 12.
UCLA now has nine wins over ranked opponents, six in conference play.
Rashunda Jones scored 15 points and Emma Shumate had 12 for the Spartans (20-5, 9-5), who have dropped three of their last four games. Grace VanSlooten and Kennedy Blair, the team’s top scorers entering the game, were held to a combined 18 points on 6-for-25 shooting.
UCLA, which led by 31 points, outscored Michigan State 56-22 in the paint and had a 48-28 rebounding advantage.
Their matchup last season at Pauley Pavilion wasn’t decided until late in the game, when the Bruins (without an injured Betts) pulled out a 75-69 victory. Betts missed that game with a foot injury but the Spartans couldn’t avoid her imposing 6-foot-7 presence this time.
Coming off a hotly contested 69-66 victory over No. 8 Michigan on Sunday, the Bruins were in total control from the start.
UCLA scored on its six first possessions while powering to a 44-20 halftime lead, capped by a Jaquez 3-pointer. Betts had 13 points by the break, while the Spartans were unable to get anything going in half-court sets or transition.
UCLA shot 56% from the field (35 for 62) while holding the Spartans to 31% (21 for 68), though the Bruins had 18 turnovers.
Michigan State hasn’t defeated a top-two team at home since 2005.
UCLA begins a three-game homestand against Indiana on Sunday at noon.