Kiki Rice scored 21 points and Lauren Betts added 16 to help No. 1 seed UCLA beat fourth-seeded Minnesota 80-56 in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament. The Bruins advanced to play either LSU or Duke in the Sacramento Regional 2 final on Sunday.
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NASA astronaut says his medical scare remains a mysteryA red fox stows away on a cargo ship, traveling from England to the USA Medicaid 'spend down' may get an older person long-term care coverage but isn't a DIY strategyAt Middle Creek, timing and distance shape a photo of migrating geeseThe World in PicturesUganda reintroduces rhinos into a protected area where they have been extinct since 1983Dietary supplement makers push the FDA to allow peptides and other new ingredientsAs demand for GLP-1 pills and shots surges, healthy habits are still keyAI is giving bad advice to flatter its users, says new study on dangers of overly agreeable chatbotsThe future of fish is looking a lot like meatTrump interrumpe reunión del gabinete sobre Irán y el aumento de precios para hablar de plumonesUCLA center Lauren Betts reacts against Minnesota during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. UCLA center Lauren Betts blocks Minnesota guard Amaya Battle during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Minnesota guard Amaya Battle, right, reacts after a game against UCLA in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. UCLA center Lauren Betts reacts after a three point basket against Minnesota during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit reacts against UCLA during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. UCLA center Lauren Betts reacts against Minnesota during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. UCLA center Lauren Betts reacts against Minnesota during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. UCLA center Lauren Betts blocks Minnesota guard Amaya Battle during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. UCLA center Lauren Betts blocks Minnesota guard Amaya Battle during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Minnesota guard Amaya Battle, right, reacts after a game against UCLA in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Minnesota guard Amaya Battle, right, reacts after a game against UCLA in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. UCLA center Lauren Betts reacts after a three point basket against Minnesota during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. UCLA center Lauren Betts reacts after a three point basket against Minnesota during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit reacts against UCLA during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit reacts against UCLA during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 27, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When the final buzzer sounded on UCLA’s 80-56 regional semifinal win over Minnesota in the women’sCalm, collected and not finished, these Bruins intend for March Madness to extend into April. Led by Kiki Rice’s 21 points and a 16-point, five-block performance by star Lauren Betts, the top-seeded Bruins advanced to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row and will face either Duke or LSU. Even winning the next one isn’t going to satisfy UCLA. The Big Ten champion Bruins are playing for more, and on Friday night, they looked like it.Leading for more than 38 minutes of this game, UCLA shook off an upstart Gophers team that pulled within 30-27 in the closing minutes of the second quarter as they tried to slow the game down and limit Betts’ touches. The Bruins led 34-29 at the half.The Gophers were in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2025. They were led by Grace Grocholski with 12 points, and Sophie Hart added 11. Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said she was proud of a team that put the Minnesota program back on the national map. “It’s really cool to reach the Sweet 16, but I’m hoping this becomes the standard,” said Gophers senior Amaya Battle. “It feels nice to do this, but we should be doing this every year.”. Rice scored 25 points in that game, and on Friday, she went 7 of 12 from the floor and hit all six of her free throws. “I felt like we had good matchups and good looks,” Rice said. “When teams commit so much to our players inside, it opens up driving lanes. Teams are going to have to choose how they defend us.”Indeed, the Bruins are creating trouble for their tournament foes, scoring at least 50 points in the paint in their three wins. It was an insurance policy against a less-than-stellar night from the perimeter, in which UCLA was 4 of 16 from beyond the arc. “It wasn’t one of our best offensive games. We missed nine layups in a row at one point. But we didn’t let missed shots dictate our defensive intensity,” Close said. The Bruins held Minnesota to 37.9% shooting, blocked nine shots and forced 15 turnovers to hold the Gophers to their third-lowest scoring total of the season. “We just took care of the things that were under our control, and I think we can play better,” Close said.Better will be indeed required for a team that reached its first Final Four a season ago, but left after a 34-point loss in the national semifinals to eventual champion UConn. “It’s March and we are really trying to focus on what’s next,” Betts said. “We have been approaching this very businesslike. We learned a lot from last year about not being happy with how far we get. We want to win it all. We will do our celebrating for this win, but we’ve got to focus on the next one.”UCLA advanced to a regional final for the second straight season. The Bruins beat LSU last season en route to the Final Four. They topped Duke earlier this season.Trump signs executive order to pay TSA workers with other funds after House rejects funding bill
NCAA Womens Division I Basketball Championship Lauren Betts Womens College Basketball College Sports UCLA Bruins Minnesota Golden Gophers Sophie Hart Grace Grocholski Kiki Rice Minnesota College Basketball MN State Wire March Madness NCAA Tournament Minnesota Golden Gophers Womens Basketball Womens Sports NCAA Womens Bracket California UCLA Bruins Womens Basketball Sports Dawn Plitzuweit Amaya Battle Sacramento
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