The crowd at Pauley Pavilion rose as one as the seconds ticked down. This second half deserved a standing ovation.
UCLA claimed an 84-67 win over No. 8 Richmond in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday, using an extended 23-2 run in the third quarter to blow open a close game and advance to a third consecutive Sweet 16. The tournament’s No. 1 overall seed will face No. 5 Mississippi in the Regional 1 semifinal in Spokane, Wash., on Friday. Mississippi upset No. 4 Baylor 69-63 in the second round.
Lauren Betts dominated inside with 30 points on 14-of-17 shooting with 14 rebounds while the Bruins got their three-point shooting going in the second half to pull away. Guard Kiki Rice had 23 points and seven assists, draining four of six three-point shots.
The Bruins (32-2) made five of eight three-point attempts in the third quarter, turning a game that was tied at halftime into a blowout that delighted the crowd of 6,119. UCLA finished its second consecutive season with just one loss at home.
UCLA struggled to contain Richmond forward Maggie Doogan, who scored 16 points on seven-for-10 shooting in the first half, and finished with 27 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
The Atlantic 10 player of the year is the ideal catalyst for Richmond’s high-octane offense that never rests. Players slash toward the basket and curl around screens, forcing defenses into difficult switching scenarios. Each missed defensive rotation was exposed with an impeccably placed pass.
Richmond shot 65.2% from the field in the first half and finished the second quarter on a 7-0 run to tie the score 36-36 entering halftime.
The Bruins fought off another explosive offense in the second round last year, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the second half against Creighton. UCLA players referenced the close call multiple times this week, realizing Richmond presented the same problems. They avoided a similar nail-biter by seizing control of the third quarter and feeding off the energy of the home crowd that came short of the sellout coach Cori Close was hoping for, but was every bit as loud as any packed arena.
The roar after Londynn Jones hit her first three-pointer to put the Bruins up 47-41 with 7:17 remaining in the third quarter was ear-splitting on the floor. After the Bruins forced a shot-clock violation two possessions later, forward Janiah Barker clenched both fists and waved both arms to the crowd for more noise.
UCLA players walked around the floor after the handshake line, saluting each side of the arena before retreating to the locker room.
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