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5d ago

No. 2 UCLA Extends Streak With 80-67 Win at Illinois as Betts Powers Second-Half Surge

Relentless rebounding with paint dominance decided the matchup.

UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) towers over Illinois Fighting Illini forward Berry Wallace (23) as she drives to the basket in the second half during a game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the UCLA Bruins at State Farm Center on Jan. 28, 2026, in Champaign, IL. The Bruins beat the Fighting Illini 80-67. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Illinois Fighting Illini line up for the national anthem before the start of a game against the UCLA Bruins at State Farm Center on Jan. 28, 2026, in Champaign. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Overview

  • The Bruins moved to 20-1 overall and 10-0 in Big Ten play for a 14th consecutive victory.
  • Lauren Betts finished with 23 points and nine rebounds after sitting the entire second quarter due to early fouls, including a technical.
  • UCLA outscored Illinois 48-24 in the paint, won boards 39-25, and led 19-3 in second-chance points despite shooting 1-for-10 from three.
  • Illinois freshmen shined as Cearah Parchment posted a career-high 26 and Destiny Jackson added 15 points with six assists while Berry Wallace was held to 11 on 3-for-17 shooting.
  • Illinois played without second-leading scorer Gretchen Dolan due to a knee injury; next up, UCLA hosts No. 8 Iowa on Sunday and Illinois visits No. 25 Washington.