For the second straight game, the top seeded Bruins faced a challenge in the first half, this time leading by just one point after 20 minutes. And for the second straight game, UCLA dominated after halftime, beating Ole Miss 76-62 Friday night in Spokane to advance to the Elite Eight.

Like much of this season, the game came down to the fact that the Bruins have Lauren Betts, and the other team doesn’t. The All-American center dominated from the opening tip once again, with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks on a Bill Walton-esque 15-16 shooting.

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An added wrinkle in this Sweet Sixteen matchup was that much of the damage by Betts was done inside against former Bruin Christeen Iwuala. But it didn’t really matter who Ole Miss threw at her, Betts scored against whoever the Rebels tried. Her only missed shot came with the clock running down at the end of a quarter. 

Betts became just the third player to post consecutive 30-10 games in the NCAA tournament, and the first since Brittney Griner and Elena Delle Donne in 2012 and 2013. Postgame, Betts expressed gratitude and admiration for joining the company of those legendary players of the past that will one day be Hall of Famers. It’s time for Bruin fans to express our own gratitude and admiration for the player that Betts has become.