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Top-seeded UCLA shook off a slow start in the second half against Richmond Sunday to race to an 84-67 win, and advance to the Sweet 16.
Lauren Betts had 30 points and 14 rebounds for the Bruins, while Kiki Rice added 23 points and 7 assists.
The Spiders used a balanced offensive attack and great shooting to keep the game close for the first half, many times penetrating the UCLA defense with back door cuts. After several lead changes and ties, Richmond closed the half on a 7-0 run to tie it at 36.
The two teams traded buckets to open the third quarter, after which the Bruins reeled off four straight three-pointers. They upped their defense too, forcing the Spiders into missing shots and holding them scoreless for 5 1/2 minutes. They had a 65-43 lead going into the final frame, and Richmond could not get closer than 15 points the rest of the way.
UCLA out-rebounded their opponents, 40-28, and committed just 5 turnovers on the night.Coach Cori Close credited her team for stepping up in the third period, as well as the crowd, whose raucous cheers encouraged the team. Betts said she was proud of her teammates.
“I thought in that second half, we really turned it around,” Betts said. “I think we just changed our mentality defensively. We wanted to get stops…we had each other’s backs and we played as a unit.”
Rice said the team made adjustments, both offensively and defensively.
“Our belief and our motivation never wavered, which is something I’m really proud of this group,” she said. “We’re really positive in the locker room, and (we) continued to build each other up, (and) tell each other what we needed from each other, and it worked.”
Richmond had reached the NCAA Tournament’s second round by receiving an at-large bid, and then upsetting Georgia Tech in Friday’s first round, for the first tourney win in program history. Coach Aaron Roussell said he wasn’t necessarily concerned when Betts began grabbing more rebounds in the third quarter, because his squad was shooting so well.
“I felt like weirdly, we could withstand that if they weren’t making three’s,” he said.
Maggie Doogan had 27 points and 7 assists for the Spiders, while Rachel Ullstrom netted 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
The Bruins travel to the Spokane regional, where they will take on Ole Miss Friday.
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