Lauren Betts kicked off 2026 absolutely dominating.

The UCLA center hit a major milestone crossing the 1,500-point mark for her career, while pouring in 25 points to help No. 4 UCLA blow past Penn State 97-61. That win gave the Bruins their seventh straight, and they weren't about to let up. 

Three days later, with USC coming to Pauley Pavilion, Betts and UCLA had a chance to make it eight in a row. More than 11,000 fans packed the arena on Saturday night for the crosstown rivalry game, and UCLA's first home game since right before Christmas. 

What followed was a total beatdown. UCLA defeated 17th-ranked USC 80-46, grabbing first place in the Big Ten at 4-0.

Betts scored 18 points, 12 rebounds, four assists. And also added three blocks for her fifth double-double of the year. But this wasn't just Betts' show. USC shot a brutal 27% from the floor while UCLA's balanced attack picked them apart.

Kneepkens had 15 points, six boards, and five assists. Rice controlled the game with 14 points and nine dimes. Jaquez contributed 12 and six. The Bruins racked up 24 assists total.

The first quarter stayed tight nobody could separate. Betts led early with six points and three rebounds. While Leger-Walker matched her with 5 points and 3 boards. USC kept answering back. Jaquez hit two free throws on the final score to make it at 16-16 heading into the second. 

Then the second quarter took its turn. Angela Dugalić scored back-to-back buckets to make it 22-18. USC collapsed from there. Kneepkens hit three free throws. And Betts added another basket. This is when the Trojans went silent for four minutes without a point as UCLA's defense hold them.

The Bruins unleashed a 16-2 run over the final 4:52. Rice capped it with a driving layup at the buzzer for a 43-28 halftime lead. USC managed one field goal in their last 10 tries and got destroyed 15-3 on the boards in the quarter.​

The second half was similar. UCLA pushed it to 65-40 after three quarters before the final 80-46 beatdown. The Bruins crushed them on the glass 46-26, in the paint 42-10, and steals 10-5. Kara Dunn led USC with 11 points, but Jazzy Davidson shot 4-of-15 for just 10 points, way under her 16.8 average. UCLA improved to 14-1 with four ranked wins.

UCLA faces Nebraska in Big Ten showdown

Next up for UCLA is a road test against No. 20 Nebraska on January 12, with a chance to push the winning streak to nine. This matchup has serious juice - both teams are undefeated in Big Ten play at 5-0, sitting atop the conference standings.​

The numbers show two evenly matched squads. UCLA averages 87.9 points per game to Nebraska's 86.9, and both teams shoot an identical 51% from the field. The key difference? UCLA dominates the boards at 44.1 rebounds per game compared to Nebraska's 36.8, while the Cornhuskers are more aggressive defensively with 9.6 steals to UCLA's 8.3.​

If the Bruins can control the glass like they did against USC - where they won the rebounding battle 46-26 - they'll have the edge. This marks UCLA's fifth ranked opponent, another chance to prove they belong in the national title conversation.

Written by

Ishika Ghosh

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu