Women’s College Hoops Spotlight: Why UCLA Has a Hold on the Big Ten Title Race

UCLA has the Big Ten within its grasp. With five games remaining, the No. 2-ranked Bruins are closing in on the program’s first regular-season title since joining the conference back in 2024. They nearly let it slip away against Michigan on Sunday. After holding a comfortable 11-point lead with 2:24 remaining, the Wolverines went on a 12-4 run. Michigan guard Syla Swords buried a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to cut the deficit to three, then missed a potential game-tying shot moments later, which sealed the 69-66 win for the Bruins. The win marked UCLA’s 17th straight victory, with its last loss coming against No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26. It was also the Bruins’ ninth win over an AP Top 25 team this season, the most of any team in the country. Sunday’s result gave UCLA a two-game lead in the Big Ten standings over Michigan and No. 9 Ohio State, while snapping the Wolverines’ program-best nine-game conference winning streak. Lauren Betts, UCLA’s 6-foot-7 center, dominated (as she often does) with 16 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Guard Kiki Rice led the Bruins with 20 points and two steals. Both players are on the Wooden Award mid-season top 25 list. [MEN’S COLLEGE HOOPS: St. John’s Getting Hot at Just the Right Time] The Bruins are well-rounded, physical and will no doubt be one of the more dangerous teams in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Betts and Rice combine to average 31.5 points and 14.6 rebounds per game, making the teammates quite the menacing duo — and it’s not just them. Against Michigan, for example, Bruins guards Gabriela Jaquez scored 13 points and Gianna Kneepkens added 12 in the win. [WOMEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL: Top 10, Bubble Team NET Rankings] If this team is going to make a run this March, however, it has a few areas to improve upon. The Bruins struggled from distance against the Wolverines, going just 3-for-13 from deep. They also had 13 turnovers and let up in the fourth quarter, which nearly cost them the win. UCLA has to head back to the state of Michigan this week when it plays No. 12 Michigan State in East Lansing on Wednesday night (8 p.m. ET). The Bruins can’t be satisfied with how they finished Sunday’s game, though, so keep an eye on how this team responds against the Spartans and beyond.