Betts, Rice Eye Redemption After UCLA’s First Loss

After dominating all season, UCLA faltered late against USC. Now, Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice are focused on bouncing back.

Feb 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) grabs a rebound in front of USC Trojans guard Kennedy Smith (11) during the third quarter at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

For most of the season, UCLA had been unstoppable, stacking up wins and maintaining its No. 1 ranking. But Thursday night at the Galen Center, its perfect record came crashing down in a 71-60 loss to No. 6-ranked USC. 

Despite leading heading into the fourth quarter, the Bruins were outscored 24-8, suffering their first defeat in Big Ten play. After the game, junior center Lauren Betts and junior guard Kiki Rice shared their thoughts on what went wrong and how the team plans to move forward.

Betts, who recorded her 13th double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds, didn’t shy away from taking accountability for the loss.

“I’ve got to do better, period,” Betts said. “I think towards the end, I was just forcing a lot of tough shots, and I’ve got to do better for my team. So I think just getting deeper seals, and I know how to do that.”

The 6-foot-7 center acknowledged the team’s struggles down the stretch and emphasized the importance of improving as a unit.

“We just have to be better as a team,” Betts said. “Like Coach Cori said, we can't get down on ourselves right now. We’ve just got to watch the film and learn from it.”

Rebounding was a key issue for the Bruins, particularly in the fourth quarter, where they were outmatched on the boards.

“Defensively, I think we talked about rebounding,” Betts said. “That's something that we always try to emphasize, but I think that's just something we've got to continue to get better at.”

Despite the loss, Betts expressed her appreciation for UCLA’s culture and her excitement for the future.

“I love everything about this program and everything that they stand for,” she said. “It really is a family, and I knew that coming into this program. I think Coach Cori just continues to push me as a person and a basketball player, and I'm just lucky that I get to come back next year.”

Rice, who finished with 15 points and six assists, pointed to USC’s ability to capitalize on key moments, particularly the dominance of sophomore standout guard JuJu Watkins, who finished with 38 points.

“She made a lot of good plays tonight,” Rice said. “She made a lot of good shots, and we just have to adjust and do better next time.”

Rice echoed Betts’ sentiment about quickly shifting focus to their next opponent, No. 22 Michigan State.

“Obviously, it sucks right now, but we have a game on Sunday,” Rice said. “We have to regroup, watch the film, and prep for Michigan State. We have a really good team as well, but it sucks right now.”

With another matchup against USC looming later in the season, Rice is eager for a chance at redemption.

“I think it's kind of cool we get to play them again,” Rice said. “It's going to be a great game. We hope for a good turnout — it’s already sold out and everything. I’m sure there’ll be a lot on the line in that game, and we’ll be ready for it.”

The Bruins struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, something Rice acknowledged as a major reason for the loss.

“In the fourth, we had 8 points, they had 24,” Rice said. “The biggest thing is we didn’t take care of the ball. They scored a lot off of our turnovers, which we needed to clean up. I think the biggest thing is just the fourth quarter, and I would not let them dominate us like that again.”

With little time to dwell on the loss, UCLA must regroup quickly for a tough matchup against Michigan State on Sunday. Both Betts and Rice remain confident that the Bruins will use this game as a learning experience and be better prepared moving forward. 

UCLA's rematch against USC at Pauley Pavilion next month will provide an opportunity to show just how much it has learned.

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