UCLA women's basketball cruises past Cal Baptist in NCAA tournament opener

Bruins overcome slow start, dominate second half to advance to second round

Mar. 22, 2026 at 5:36am

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Top-seeded UCLA shook off a slow start to its women's NCAA tournament run Saturday and showed its dominance in the third quarter to spark a 96-43 first-round victory over Cal Baptist at Pauley Pavilion in the Sacramento 2 Regional. The Bruins outscored the Lancers by 27 points in the pivotal third quarter, including the last 14 points to take a 75-38 lead into the fourth. Cal Baptist was limited to just nine second-half points after trailing only 44-34 at halftime.

Why it matters

UCLA is one of the top contenders for the women's NCAA championship this year, and this decisive victory over Cal Baptist demonstrates the Bruins' ability to make necessary adjustments and pull away from opponents when needed. As the tournament progresses, UCLA's performance will be closely watched as they aim to win their first national title since 1978.

The details

UCLA center Lauren Betts had a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, while reserve forward Angela Dugalić added 10 points and 11 rebounds of her own. The Bruins dominated the rebounding battle, outrebounding Cal Baptist 62-21, including a 21-8 advantage on the offensive glass.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 22, 2026 at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
  • UCLA will face 8th-seeded Oklahoma State in the second round on Monday, March 24, 2026.

The players

Cori Close

The head coach of the UCLA women's basketball team.

Lauren Betts

The starting center for UCLA, who recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Angela Dugalić

A reserve forward for UCLA, who also recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

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What they’re saying

“We will look at this game and go, 'OK, what did this teach us? What are the pivots and adjustments that need to be made?' And we will come out ready to go on Monday.”

— Cori Close, Head Coach

“I think in the locker room it was made very clear to us that we needed to do a better job — and that was before the coaches came in.”

— Angela Dugalić, Reserve Forward

“We need to be amazing rebounders if we want to get through this tournament.”

— Lauren Betts, Starting Center

What’s next

UCLA will face 8th-seeded Oklahoma State in the second round on Monday, March 24, 2026 at Pauley Pavilion.

The takeaway

UCLA's decisive victory over Cal Baptist showcases the Bruins' ability to make necessary adjustments and dominate opponents when needed. As one of the top contenders for the women's NCAA championship, UCLA's performance in the tournament will be closely watched as they aim to win their first national title in nearly 50 years.