Lauren Betts surpasses 1,500 career points and No. 4 UCLA beats Penn State 97-61

News > Sports News

UCLA's Lauren Betts (51) goes to the basket on Penn State's Maggie Mendelson, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Gary M. Baranec)

UCLA's Kiki Rice (1) pulls up to shoot on Penn State's Kiyomi McMiller, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Gary M. Baranec) — UCLA's Lauren Betts (51) goes to the basket on Penn State's Maggie Mendelson, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Gary M. Baranec)

Audio By Carbonatix

1:23 PM on Wednesday, December 31

By TRAVIS JOHNSON

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Lauren Betts scored 25 and surpassed 1,500 career points in leading No. 4 UCLA to a 97-61 rout of Penn State on Wednesday.

Gianna Kneepkens added 17 points, Kiki Rice scored 16 and Sienna Betts 10 for the Bruins (13-1, 3-0 Big Ten), who won their seventh in a row after leading for all but 31 seconds.

The Bruins, who entered averaging just over 95 points per game since their lone loss to the No. 2 Texas Longhorns on Nov. 27, found their offense immediately inside a quiet Rec Hall.

Lauren Betts finished 11 for 19 from the floor. She sunk a layup in the opening seconds to spark the first of a handful of lopsided runs for the Bruins.

Kneepkens and Rice added back-to-back 3-pointers moments later before Kneepkens hit another long ball to put UCLA up 13-2 less than three minutes in.

Penn State (7-7, 0-3) responded with a pair of buckets, but Kneepkens drained her third 3-pointer of the quarter and UCLA closed out the first on a 14-5 run shooting 58% from the floor.

The rout was on from there for the Bruins, who led by as many as 37 with 6:41 in the fourth quarter. They led 46-23 at halftime.

Gracie Merkle had 15 points and Kiyomi McMiller scored 13 for Penn State, which fell to 1-15 against AP Top 10 teams since coach Carolyn Kieger’s first season in 2019.

Up next

UCLA: Hosts No. 17 Southern California on Saturday night.

Penn State: Visits Wisconsin on Sunday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball.