Lauren Betts Leads No. 2 UCLA Past No. 8 Michigan for 2-Game Lead in Big Ten

Lauren Betts had 16 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and three blocks to help No. 2 UCLA hold off No. 8 Michigan for a 69-66 win on Sunday. The Wolverines trailed by 11 points with less than two minutes left and with a chance to tie the game, Syla Swords shot an airball on a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left. UCLA (23-1, 13-0 Big Ten) took a two-game lead over Michigan (20-4, 11-2) in the conference with its 17th consecutive victory since losing to No. 4 Texas in November. The Bruins outscored Michigan by 14 over the second and third quarters, leading by as much as 13 points, and finished with their NCAA -high ninth win over an AP Top 25 team. The Wolverines’ school-record, nine-game winning streak in Big Ten games was snapped by a big and experienced team that plays stifling defense and is led by a 6-foot-7 preseason All-America center that does it all. Betts was 8 of 17 from the field, grabbed rebounds at both ends of the court, set up teammates for shots after drawing double teams and used her size to block or alter shots. [WOMEN’S COLLEGE HOOPS: Meet Lauren Betts: 5 Things To Know About the UCLA Center] Her surrounding cast is talented, too. UCLA’s Kiki Rice scored 20, Gabriela Jaquez had 13 and Gianna Kneepkens scored 12. Michigan’s Olivia Olson had 20 points, Mila Holloway had 15 and Te’Yala Delfosse added 10. Swords was limited to eight points, missing 10 of 13 shots. The highly anticipated matchup drew a season-high 6,108 crowd to Crisler Center a few hours before the Super Bowl. Next, UCLA plays at No. 12 Michigan State on Wednesday, and Michigan is at Northwestern on Thursday. Reporting by The Associated Press.