UCLA Cruises After 'Unacceptable' First Half at NCAA Tournament

Top-seeded Bruins turn 10-point halftime lead into 96-43 win over California Baptist

Mar. 22, 2026 at 5:51am

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After an "unacceptable" first-half performance, top-seeded UCLA turned a 10-point halftime lead into a 96-43 win over California Baptist in the first round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament. UCLA coach Cori Close had a "spirited" message for her team at halftime, making it clear their first-half play was unacceptable. The Bruins responded, outscoring CBU by 27 points in the third quarter to pull away for the lopsided victory.

Why it matters

This game highlights UCLA's ability to make adjustments and respond to adversity, which will be crucial as they advance deeper into the NCAA tournament. The Bruins' dominant second-half performance also showcases their defensive prowess and the team's leadership in holding each other accountable.

The details

UCLA forward Angela Dugalic said the team took accountability for their lackluster first-half play before the coaches addressed it. In the second half, the Bruins allowed just 9 total points, with their third and fourth quarters being their two best defensive quarters in the NCAA tournament over the past 10 seasons. UCLA center Lauren Betts led the team with 22 points and 10 rebounds, tying the most 20-point, 10-rebound NCAA tournament games by a player since 2020.

  • UCLA scored the first 11 points of the third quarter to pull away.
  • The Bruins outscored California Baptist by 27 points in the third quarter.

The players

Cori Close

The head coach of the UCLA women's basketball team who delivered a "spirited" message to her team at halftime.

Angela Dugalic

A UCLA forward who said the team took accountability for their first-half performance before the coaches addressed it.

Lauren Betts

The UCLA center who led the team with 22 points and 10 rebounds, tying the most 20-point, 10-rebound NCAA tournament games by a player since 2020.

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What they’re saying

“It's not the fact that we missed shots. Those aren't the things that get me really fired up. It's when we don't execute the scouting report, when we are lackadaisical, when we don't communicate, when we're not connected. Those are the controllable things that we made a commitment to each other that we would deliver on, that we could be dependable to do our job. And we let each other down in that first half about that.”

— Cori Close, UCLA Women's Basketball Head Coach

“And that was before the coaches came in. We just took accountability of what we needed to fix, which was a lot of things, honestly. ... I think in the second half that we did a better job because we were all on the same page and we understood what we had to do.”

— Angela Dugalic, UCLA Forward

What’s next

UCLA will host No. 8-seeded Oklahoma State on Monday at 10 p.m. ET at Pauley Pavilion on ESPN.

The takeaway

This game showcases UCLA's ability to make critical adjustments and respond to adversity, which will serve them well as they continue their NCAA tournament run. The Bruins' dominant second-half performance also highlights their defensive prowess and the team's strong leadership in holding each other accountable.