In the battle of the Big Ten, excuses don’t get you a win, and Iowa HC Jan Jensen knows how to learn from a loss and take notes for the next comeback.  

On February 2, the UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 88-65. During the post-game press conference, Jensen also spoke extensively about the UCLA center, Lauren Betts.

According to Jansen, Betts was the "poison" Iowa failed to handle. Their defensive tactics included double-teaming and eventually forcing Betts into foul trouble. But the Hawkeyes HC stated, "Double-teams can’t really slow down Betts, because I don’t think she forces anything ill against the double."

Jansen also described Bett's effective style of play, stating, "She kind of squares up and then rockets it to Kneepkens. So, do you give up two? Or do you have her kick it out for three? We tried to crowd her and give the illusion, right? We tried to stay out, but they just hammered it inside."

The 81-69 loss against UCLA marks Iowa’s second consecutive loss in Los Angeles. While breaking down Bett’s play, the Iowa coach also reflected on the issues with her team. “We did not do a great job on closeouts today”, she said. However, Betts was not the only headache for the Hawkeyes.

Cori Close’s Perfect Lay-Up also troubled Jan Jansen's side

The Bruins’ coach, Cori Close, knew exactly what she was doing when she started with 4 scorers, including the top performer, Betts.

The HC described her strategy in the postgame conference, saying, "I knew that they wanted to play through their posts. And so, if we had someone else who could come in and do a really great job and not take that risk, I thought it was prudent in this style of game that I do that.”

While Bett’s availability stayed limited, her unselfish game made clean cuts for others. Kiki Rice scored 17 points and 7 assists. Charlisse Leger-Walker and Kneepkens added a combined score of 20 points and 9 rebounds. And off the bench, Angela Dugali led the scoreboards with 22 points.

Close trusted Bett’s ability to score, avoid fouls and also get other scorers to shoot baskets. So, it was not just Bett as a player, but UCLA as a balanced team that got Iowa today.

But do you think the Hawkeyes will be able to turn the tables the next time they face the Bruins? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Souvik Roy