Another dominant effort by Lauren Betts as UCLA routs Wisconsin
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MADISON, Wis. — Lauren Betts had 26 points and 10 rebounds and second-ranked UCLA routed Wisconsin 91-61 on Wednesday night to set up a showdown with No. 4 USC for the Big Ten title.
UCLA (28-1 overall, 16-1 Big Ten) moved into a first-place tie with USC heading into the regular-season finale Saturday at home against the Trojans, who handed the Bruins their only defeat, 71-60 earlier this month.
Betts hit 11 of 12 shots from the field and all four of her free throws for her 15th double-double of the season. Timea Gardner added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Serah Williams had 22 points and Ronnie Porter 13 for Wisconsin (13-15, 4-13).
The Bruins hit 10 of 18 shots en route to a 22-12 lead after one quarter.
Porter hit two free throws to pull the Badgers within 27-19, but UCLA responded with an 8-0 run.
Fans increasingly do not like how Mick Cronin behaves on the court, but they would be a lot more forgiving if UCLA was in position to end its championship drought.
Wisconsin missed its first seven shots of the third quarter as UCLA extended its lead to 55-30 midway through the period. The Bruins led 70-40 entering the final period.
Both UCLA and USC gained forfeit victories Wednesday over Northwestern, which chose not to play January games in California because of concerns over wildfires.
Takeaways
UCLA: After edging Iowa 67-65 on Sunday to open the two-game road swing, the Bruins avoided looking past Wisconsin and ahead to the rematch with USC.
Wisconsin: The Badgers are looking to hang on to a spot in the 15-team Big Ten tournament. At 4-13, Wisconsin is in 14th place, 1½ games ahead of Purdue, which has two games remaining.
Key moment
The Bruins hit six of seven shots for a 12-2 run midway through the first quarter for a 20-9 lead.
Key stat
Led by Betts and Gardiner, the Bruins dominated inside, outscoring Wisconsin 52-32 in the paint.
Up next
UCLA returns home to face No. 4 USC on Saturday. Wisconsin is at Iowa on Sunday.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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