UCLA Rolls Past Rutgers in Big Ten Blowout, Highlights Depth and Inspiration on National Girls and Women in Sports Day
LOS ANGELES - On a night when the No. 2 UCLA Bruins were expected to dominate, they didn’t just meet expectations - they blew past them.
Hosting Rutgers at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA cruised to an 86-46 win, keeping their Big Ten record spotless at 12-0 and improving to 22-1 overall. The gap in talent and execution between the top and bottom of the conference was evident from the opening tip.
By the end of the first quarter, the Bruins had gone on a 17-0 run and held a commanding 26-6 lead. The game was essentially decided before the second quarter even began, and that gave head coach Cori Close the green light to get creative with her rotations - something every coach dreams of when managing a long season.
With the pressure off, UCLA leaned into its depth. Freshman forward Sienna Betts, freshman guard Lena Bilic, and redshirt-sophomore forward Amanda Muse saw extended minutes - and made the most of them.
Muse logged 20 minutes, her second-highest total of the season, while Bilic matched that mark. Sienna Betts played nearly 24 minutes and dropped 11 points - matching her older sister, senior center Lauren Betts, on the scoring sheet.
"I'm sure she'll rub that in quite a bit," Close joked after the game, clearly enjoying the moment.
Building Chemistry, Preserving Bodies
In games like this, the scoreboard isn’t the only thing that matters. With the postseason on the horizon and the grind of the schedule taking its toll, managing player workload becomes just as important as racking up wins. That’s where the Bruins showed another layer of maturity - using the opportunity to rest key players and build chemistry across different lineups.
"We mixed up our rotations a little bit. It's a long year.
We want to protect our bodies a little bit," said senior guard Kiki Rice. "It's also a great opportunity to play with other people - to work on actions together and how we play with each other.
We need to be able to play with different lineups because there's going to be times where that’s going to happen throughout the year."
That kind of flexibility isn’t just about giving younger players experience - it’s about preparing for the unpredictable. Foul trouble, injuries, or even just matchup-specific adjustments can force a coach to shuffle the deck. The more combinations that have seen real game minutes together, the better.
A Celebration Bigger Than Basketball
While the scoreboard told one story, the atmosphere inside Pauley Pavilion told another. Wednesday’s game landed on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, and UCLA made it a point to celebrate the moment in full. From young girls helping with in-game production - their voices echoing through the arena as they announced baskets and lineups - to the presence of families and fans who’ve become familiar faces, the night was about more than just basketball.
"It's super special that we can do that and have the little girls be out there learning new skills," said senior forward Gabriela Jaquez. "It’s just really cool to see that.
What’s super cool about our program - there’s lots of families here and there’s little kids that look up to us. It’s super cool because they are familiar faces to us.
We really appreciate it. Just super cool that we can do this game and lift women up."
For Coach Close, the night carried personal meaning. Growing up, she didn’t have the same opportunities to watch women compete at the highest levels. Now, she’s leading one of the top programs in the country, helping shape the next generation - not just of athletes, but of leaders.
"I wish I had women to look up to at that age that I could go and see," Close said. "I am such a hoop head and I would watch as much basketball as my mom would let me, but there were no options to watch women and girls as I was growing up.
It was all men's basketball... What a privilege when you can combine trying to master your craft and compete at the highest levels and inspire somebody else and impact a heart.
How lucky are we?"
Looking Ahead
With the win, UCLA continues to look every bit like a team with Final Four aspirations. But beyond the victories and the rankings, this game was a reminder of the bigger picture - that sports can be a platform for inspiration, connection, and change.
And if Wednesday night was any indication, the Bruins are embracing that role just as confidently as they’re owning the court.