The UCLA women's basketball team handled business on Friday night against No. 16 seed Southern University, the automatic qualifiers from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
While the Bruins did endure a rocky stretch toward the end of the first half, they ended up opening up a lead against the Southern Jaguars. Lauren Betts led the way, but the team also got key contributions from Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez.
Cori Close's team did not just win decisively in the first round, but they won in record-setting fashion and propelled their team closer to program history.
UCLA breaks record, pushes closer to March Madness program history
On Friday, the Bruins won by a final score of 84-46, and that 38-point margin of victory was the largest in UCLA women's basketball history in the NCAA Tournament. The road ahead will not be quite as easy as they will face a stingy Richmond Spiders team, but this was a good confidence boost for the team heading into the second round.
By winning their first-round game, the Bruins are now just three games away from making the Final Four in Tampa, Florida. If the team were to make it, it would be the first time in program history that they have advanced to the National Semifinal.
UCLA already made program history this season by earning the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, which was also their first No. 1 seed in March Madness.
The pressure will be on coach Cori Close and her team as they navigate the rest of the tournament, but based on the way that the Bruins have responded to adversity this season, I am sure that UCLA will continue to break down barriers for their program.
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