LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cal Baptist is back in March Madness for the second time in two years. The Lancers' reward? Playing UCLA again on the Bruins' home court.
Led by AP All-America center Lauren Betts, the top-seeded Bruins (31-1) haven't lost since November and are vying to return to the Final Four for the second straight year.
The Lancers (23-10) come into Saturday's game as the WAC regular-season and tournament champions.
“We’ve very underdog, but still
dogs,” said Emma Johansson of Sweden, the 6-foot-3 WAC defensive player of the year and NCAA Division I leader in total blocks and No. 2 in blocks per game with 2.76.
In 2024, the Lancers were making their NCAA Tournament debut and got routed 84-55 at Pauley Pavilion. The 12,500-student school located in Riverside, east of Los Angeles, joins the Big West Conference in July. The men's team also made March Madness and played Kansas later Friday.
“We go into every game thinking we can win,” guard Filipa Barros of Spain said, “so this game is not going to be different.”
Only once has a 16th-seed beaten a top seed in the women's NCAA Tournament. That was 1998, when No. 16 Harvard knocked off Stanford.
“Their style is they're going to attack you from the 3-point line,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “They definitely have our attention and our respect.”
Saturday's early game in Los Angeles features two teams with balanced and efficient scoring and similar styles.
Ninth-seeded Princeton (26-3) has just three March Madness wins in program history, the last coming in 2022, when the 11th-seeded Tigers beat seventh-seeded North Carolina State on a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
The Tigers closed the regular season with seven straight wins and earned the Ivy League's automatic bid by winning the conference tournament title. Their penchant for fourth-quarter rallies and ability to hit big shots late could pay off in the frenzy of March Madness.
“What it taught us is that if we stick together, stay poised and go back to what we know that is how we pull out a lot of games,” senior guard Madison St. Rose said. “When clutch time comes around, I feel like that’s when we’re really focused on getting each other the ball, making sure we set each other up for success.”
In 2023, Princeton nearly beat UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, losing 77-74 in a regular-season game.
Eighth-seeded Oklahoma State (23-9) hasn’t won a first-round game since 2021, the year before coach Jacie Hoyt was hired as coach. The Cowgirls have used the same starting lineup the entire season.
“If we can get some easier points in transition, whether that be turnovers or rebounds, that’s going to be really crucial for us," Hoyt said, "because I think every basket for both teams is going to be really hard to come by.”
Princeton's three players from the Los Angeles area were excited to take their teammates to iconic burger chain In-N-Out.
"I loved it, the girls loved it, but that's also me being an L.A. native,” guard Skye Belker said. “I think the fries are kind of a little healthier vibe for fast food, which I actually really appreciate.”
Apropos of its highly ranked status, UCLA's players gathered at an upscale restaurant near campus that features steaks ranging in size from 24 to 48 ounces with prices to match.
“Any opportunity that we get to hang out as a team is always really fun,” Lauren Betts said, “especially going into this tournament, just having a little team bonding is really nice.”
John Wooden's imprint is all over Pauley Pavilion.
A bronze statue of the men's coach with a rolled up game program in his right hand is outside. He guided the Bruins to 10 national championships, including seven in a row.
Inside, his gold seat behind the Bruins bench stands out in an otherwise sea of blue. His quotes decorate the concourse walls and a glass case of memorabilia draws passersby. Wooden retired in 1975 and died in 2010 at age 99.
"The kid in me is so excited to be here at UCLA,” Hoyt said. “Just took a picture of the ‘Pyramid of Success.' That’s kind of what I grew up on.”
Hoyt hasn't had much success getting Wooden to register with her players, however.
“History isn't the most exciting thing to them, unfortunately. What they don’t understand is that so much of our program’s DNA came from him and that ‘Pyramid of Success,'" she said. “I played for a coach that knew him well, and fortunately for me, I got to learn a ton from her that she learned from him. It’s definitely a part of my DNA.”
UCLA's Lauren Betts and Sienna Betts aren't the only sister act playing at Pauley Pavilion this weekend.
Guards Stailee Heard and Tyla Heard suit up for Oklahoma State. Stailee Heard, a junior, started all 32 games this season, averaging 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Tyla, a sophomore, averaged 4.6 minutes coming off the bench.
“I never would have thought I would be here with my sister,” Stailee Heard said. “We’re in a beautiful environment and we get to spend it with each other, and have fun with each other.”
Freshman Sienna Betts didn't play for the first time until December after dealing with a leg injury. She averages 6.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while playing 15.4 minutes off the bench.
“Basketball-wise, she knows what to do. I feel like if I overwhelm her with too much, it's going to be a lot for her,” Lauren Betts said. “I just want her to enjoy it because this is like a really special experience.”
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
