It was yet another eventful evening for the unbeaten UCLA at the Prudential Center Monday night. With a 72-57 victory against no.25 Baylor, the Bruins only moved closer to strengthen their case for a redemptive NCAA Tournament run this season. But it was Lauren Betts who held the eyes. The energy was electric, a record was hers, and with another expected, the junior center fell just short.

Betts, one of the best post player in the country, once again led the Bruins in scoring with 24 points. She would also add 9 rebounds and 9 blocks, narrowly missing out on a triple-double. However, in the process, she set a new record for UCLA.

The game was physical, with Baylor refusing to widen the gap. They would even claw back from a 15-point deficit to cut it down to 5 and lead the second quarter. However, at a critical moment in the third quarter, UCLA head coach Cori Close called for her team to embrace the challenge, and the Bruins answered. UCLA went on a 7-0 run to push the lead back to 12 and never looked back, cruising to win by a 15-point margin.

The challenge only seemed to have propelled Betts’ stat line, further solidifying her National Player of the Year candidacy.

After previously posting 7 blocks against Penn State to tie the program record, Betts’ 9 now minted a new one. She was a force to be reckoned with in the final quarter, scoring nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting and recording three blocks to close the game.

Currently averaging 20.0 points per game along with 9.9 rebounds, and a defensive rating of 71.7, Betts has been a crucial player for the Bruins. With a double-double (11 points, 14 rebounds) performance against South Carolina, the star centre also helped break the Gamecocks’ 43-game winning streak. Betts has been consistent since, never once scoring in single digits and putting up 10 double-doubles this season. This has also placed her in contention for the College Basketball Player of the Year.

Though she isn’t up there with JuJu Watkins or Hannah Hidalgos yet, Betts is sure helping build her team into a championship contender. A solid team by her side, coach Close also has just the formula to keep the focus.

Coach Close’s answer to UCLA’s impressive run

Lauren Betts may have shined the brightest Monday evening, UCLA’s junior class wasn’t to be outdone. Kiki Rice contributed 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists on an efficient 5-7 shooting, while Gabriela Jaquez posted a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, despite some foul trouble. Janiah Barker, who had been struggling recently, bounced back in a big way, providing 10 points and eight rebounds.

Despite some early sloppy play and 17 turnovers, UCLA’s defense and offensive execution in the fourth quarter sealed the win. Baylor’s poor shooting (just 25% through three quarters) couldn’t overcome the turnovers. And while UCLA didn’t quite shoot the ball as well as they’d like from three-point range, the defensive effort and Betts’ near-triple double were enough to carry them to victory.

This was UCLA’s 18-consecutive win, making it the only team in women’s basketball alongside LSU to go unbeaten so far into the season. One of the reasons behind making the best use of her roster, is coach Close’s belief in staying in the present.

“I’m a big believer that how present we are — that fear or doubt or anxiousness lies in regret of the past or fear of the future — and so if you’re solidly in the present and focusing on getting better that day and give it to your team, that’s where the good stuff really happens,” she says. This is one of Brunis’ better runs, looking poised for a successful tournament run after only making it as far as Elite Eight under Close. Hopefully this turns out to be the year for UCLA.