LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� The numbers keep growing for the top-seeded .
Their 32 wins are the most in a single season. Their over Cal Baptist in the opening round of was the biggest postseason win in program history.
Now, they’re 26 1/2-point favorites against ninth-seeded on Monday night, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
鈥淚 did not know that,鈥� Cowgirls guard Stailee Heard said Sunday, 鈥渂ut that definitely adds fuel to the fire.鈥�
The Cowgirls (24-9) are 0-2 at Pauley Pavilion, where the team played in 2017 and 2018 as part of a home-and-home series. The Bruins are 16-0 at home this season and have lost just one game overall.
None of that bothers Heard’s backcourt mate, Haleigh Timmer.
鈥淲e wouldn鈥檛 be surprised if we won,鈥� she said. “Going in with that mindset just to attack the game and just believing in ourselves even if nobody else does.鈥�
The winner advances to the Sweet 16 in Sacramento. The Cowgirls haven’t been that far since 2014. The Bruins, with one loss this season, reached the Final Four last year.
UCLA had five players in double figures, including three with double-doubles, in overpowering Cal Baptist 96-43 after a slow start.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a bunch of pros,鈥� Cowgirls coach Jacie Hoyt said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a level of composure and poise that they play with. A separator for them is their intangibles. They just have a poise about them. The moment never seems too big. They never really seem to get rattled.鈥�
A and B post matchup
Achol Akot led the Cowgirls to an 82-68 win over eighth-seeded Princeton, with a career-high 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds.
鈥淚 have so much confidence every time she has the ball that she鈥檚 either going to go up and finish it or kick it out,鈥� Timmer said. 鈥淓ven on defense, us guards will lose our person, and she鈥檒l cover that up. You might not see it on the stat sheet, but she does so much for our team. She just fills in the gaps.鈥�
Akot is 6 inches shorter than Lauren Betts, UCLA’s 6-foot-7 AP All-America center.
鈥淟auren Betts is not someone you can stop one-on-one. You鈥檝e got to have great help,鈥� Hoyt said. 鈥淵ou have to have great rotations. Got to box out and keep her off the glass, and I think that falls on everyone.鈥�
UCLA’s March Madness rookie
Lauren Betts is wrapping up her college career at UCLA after spending her freshman year at Stanford. Her younger sister, Sienna, is just getting started in Westwood.
Sienna Betts had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds off the bench against Cal Baptist. As Lauren Betts laughingly pointed out, some of those rebounds were from her sister’s own misses.
鈥淚鈥檓 still a perfectionist, so I鈥檓 looking at what I could have done better,鈥� Sienna Betts said. 鈥淚 just want to be able to improve and learn from that game and take what I can into the next game to do better.鈥�
Little sister is figuring things out on and off the court.
鈥淪witching onto these little fast guards because in college the 4 is like another guard, that鈥檚 something very new to me,鈥� Sienna Betts said.
Asked about potential problems the Cowgirls present, she started to answer and then hesitated, seemingly unsure of what or how much she should say.
鈥淪orry, I never had a question about another team before,鈥� Sienna Betts said, laughing.
UCLA coach Cori Close feels invigorated by the younger Betts’ humor and fresh take on things.
鈥淪he is so hard on herself and she鈥檚 so driven, I think her humor is actually a saving grace for her,鈥� Close said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 sort of a breathe moment. It鈥檚 laughter. Because when she鈥檚 not smiling and bringing joy, she鈥檚 usually beating herself up for a mistake.鈥�
Fashion forward
Hoyt is keeping it in the Oklahoma State family when it comes to her March Madness fashion.
She wore black pants covered with orange sequined basketballs and the nickname Cowgirls in white for Saturday’s win over Princeton. Her orange top was covered by a black jacket with Cowgirls spelled out in sequins across the back.
The pants were the inspiration of Ellie Fallah, the wife of Oklahoma State forward , who is from Iran.
鈥淲hen I was in need of an outfit, I reached out to her and said, 鈥楬ere鈥檚 what I have. What can you do with it?'” Hoyt said. 鈥淪he flipped those pants for me pretty quick, and she also made a shirt that I’ll be wearing tomorrow.鈥�
Hoyt’s sister, Terran, is an assistant on her staff. She wore a shirt designed by Fallah on Saturday.
鈥淚 didn’t know she was going to do that,鈥� Jacie Hoyt said. 鈥淭hat was a little bit spicy, a little bit bold of her.”
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