Sports
Lauren Betts scores career-high 35 as UCLA powers past Oklahoma State and into Sweet 16
There were always going to be tears. In the final game at Pauley Pavilion for six UCLA seniors, it was going to be a stunning defeat or a cathartic release before the next step in the NCAA tournament mission.
It was the latter, as the decorated group of Bruins took their final stroll around the perimeter of the court and waved to the fans, tears glistening and smiles wide.
The top-seeded Bruins led wire-to-wire, beating No. 8-seed Oklahoma State 87-68 in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Monday night to advance to the Sweet 16. The Bruins will face No. 4 seed Minnesota on Friday in Sacramento.
One of UCLA’s seniors, Lauren Betts, put together the best game of her career with 35 points while shooting 15 of 19 at the moment her team needed it most.
“That’s really cool,” Betts said. “I mean, I can’t deny, like, that is really cool. I feel like the points, they really don’t mean anything to me. To me, like, I really just want to win games with this team. The fact that we won today is what matters most to me, and that we’re moving on to the Sweet 16.”
UCLA center Lauren Betts fends off Oklahoma State players while shooting in the paint during the Bruins’ win in the second round of the NCAA tournament Monday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
While UCLA (33-1) started much better than it did in the opening-round game, there were still elements to nitpick. The Bruins were outscored 21-18 in the third quarter, Oklahoma State (24-10) won the offensive rebounding battle and outside of Betts, the offense fell flat at points in the second half.
But with arguably the best post player in the country, the Bruins could overcome all of that, get their final Pauley moment and advance. It was the last time Gabriela Jaquez, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens, Angela Dugalic and Betts will play on UCLA’s home floor.
“I cannot wrap my head around that it was the last time,” said Jaquez, who had 10 points and seven rebounds. “That effort from Lauren, too. I’m super proud of her doing that tonight.”
UCLA has arguably the deepest lineup in the country, with four of its five starters averaging double-digit scoring and six WNBA draft hopefuls, but when the Bruins needed a scoring boost, the squad turned to Betts.
Betts scored 11 consecutive UCLA points in the last four minutes of the third quarter to put the Bruins back ahead by 19 while the rest of the offense went cold.
After building a commanding lead in the first half, they survived the lull.
“I think we just learned our lesson,” Betts said. “We don’t want another halftime with Coach Cori [Close] walking in there. We’re trying to avoid that at all costs. I think it starts defensively. Like, we’re going to score. Obviously, we know that. But I think just being the aggressors and taking things away is a really big point that we wanted to make this game.”
UCLA did apply early pressure, jumping out to an 11-2 lead while the Cowgirls went the final 4:26 of the first quarter without scoring, going 0-for-8 from the field during that span. UCLA turned that into a 25-point lead and was up 46-26 at halftime.
UCLA guard Kiki Rice, left, fights for the ball with Oklahoma State forward Achol Akot during the Bruins’ win Monday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
It was an inverse of the slow start against California Baptist on Saturday, when the Bruins held a measly 10-point lead at the half over the No. 16 seed.
“That was one of the takeaways after last game, everyone saw that,” said Leger-Walke, who had six points and a team-high eight assists. “We know that we play our best when we come out and hit first and be aggressive and take the game to them and not let it come to us.”
The Cowgirls shot 51.4% from the field in the second half to stay within striking distance. But Oklahoma State’s leading scorer, Achol Akot (23 points), had four fouls by the start of the fourth quarter and had to spend much of the final period on the bench.
“Each time you get further and further in [the NCAA tournament,] teams are gonna get better and better,” said Rice, who scored 10 points. “So they came out in the second half fighting. We expected that. We knew that, but got some tough shots and just got to be able to weather the storm.”
Kneepkens, who finished with 15 points, made a couple of key shots in the fourth quarter to help revive the Bruins’ shooting, but it was still Betts’ dominant showing that kept UCLA well ahead. Of UCLA’s 87 points, 50 came in the paint.
UCLA’s next opponent, the Golden Gophers (24-8) advanced on a buzzer beater against No. 5 seed Ole Miss on Sunday. The Bruins beat Minnesota 76-58 on the road during conference play earlier this season.
“They’re very confident,” Close said of Minnesota. “I fully expect it to be a great battle.”
The Bruins have to win four games before they could claim the first NCAA title in program history, and the road there only gets tougher. First it’s Minnesota, then a potential matchup with LSU or Duke for the regional title. Formidable No. 1 seeds Texas, South Carolina and UConn still loom on other portions of the bracket.
There is little time to reflect with such a perilous path ahead, but on Monday, there was the first sense of finality.
“My arm still hurts [from waving,]” Jaquez said with a laugh as she recalled acknowledging fans. “But I didn’t want to miss anybody.”
Sports
Tomas Hertl scores game-winner as Golden Knights rally to beat Hurricanes in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final
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The Vegas Golden Knights have taken Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, erasing the Carolina Hurricanes’ early 2-0 lead to win a thrilling 5-4 game in Raleigh and set the tone for this best-of-seven series.
It’s a seven-game win streak for Vegas now, as they haven’t lost since Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Anaheim Ducks. They surprisingly swept the Colorado Avalanche to win the West, and they kept that momentum going on the road.
Tomas Hertl was the hero for the Golden Knights in Game 1, as he scored the game-winning goal on a snipe with 3:25 left in the third period.
Tomas Hertl of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates a goal during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on June 2, 2026. (Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)
But it wasn’t easy for Vegas in the first period when the Hurricanes were quick to assert their home-ice advantage just 25 seconds into the game.
It was the first shot on goal for either side when Nikolaj Ehlers poked a puck past an aggressive Shea Theodore for Vegas, and he sprinted down ice toward Carter Hart, who mans the Golden Knights’ net. Ehlers, though, had the perfect shot, ringing the post and sending the Hurricanes faithful into a frenzy with the 1-0 lead before some could even get to their seats.
DESPITE POTENTIAL RATINGS NIGHTMARE FOR NHL, VEGAS-CAROLINA STANLEY CUP FINAL STILL HAS PLENTY OF INTRIGUE
Then, midway through the period, Ehlers found himself in yet another breakaway scenario, and he didn’t squander the opportunity to take advantage. He put a nifty move on Hart, and his backhand found the net to make it 2-0.
Jalen Chatfield also had his eye down ice, recognizing that Ehlers was uncovered and quickly turned Jack Eichel’s turnover into the opportunity.
But if there’s anything the Golden Knights have proved in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s to never count them out. Another example of that was seen on Tuesday night.
Theodore made up for his mishap to start the game with an absolute rocket off his stick on a one-timer that saw its way through traffic and past Frederik Anderson in net to get Vegas on the board shortly after Ehlers’ second goal.
Then, as the second period got underway, it was Ivan Barbashev who decided to return the favor of scoring in 30 seconds or less. As Vegas entered the offensive zone with speed, the puck found Jack Eichel’s stick. He quickly spotted Ivan Barbashev cutting through the slot, and Barbashev fired a shot over Frederik Andersen’s right shoulder before the goalie could react.
Nikolaj Ehlers of the Carolina Hurricanes scores his second goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 2, 2026. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
With that, the Golden Knights tied this game up, but they didn’t let the momentum go. William Karlsson, who already has a cup under his belt for Vegas, did his part in seeking the next trophy. Mitch Marner had a tremendous backhand pass from behind the net that found Karlsson’s stick all alone out in front, and Anderson had no chance as Vegas took a 3-2 lead.
At that moment, the air in the Lenovo Center was taken right out of the fans’ sails, but a trusty veteran restored that later in the period. Jordan Staal, who watched his brother and 2006 Stanley Cup champion with the Hurricanes, Eric Staal, get the crowd going with the siren at puck drop, potted his third goal of these playoffs.
Jordan Staal snapped a wrister past Hart thanks to a heads-up play by K’Andre Miller to keep the puck onside and find his teammate fast for the grade-A chance.
The bleeding was stopped, but the third period was bound to be a thriller based on how these two teams were finding clear chances to score. Who broke the tie first was the major question, and Brett Howden had the answer just 1:21 into the period.
The playoff leader in goals, Howden had a beautiful tip on a shot by Theodore for his 11th of the playoffs and perhaps his most important in Game 1. The scoreboard remained silent for some time after that, with both teams trying to set up solid forechecks, but to no avail. The Hurricanes even had a power play, but they couldn’t find the back of the net.
William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period of Game One of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 2, 2026. (Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
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Then, with 8:41 left, some puck luck found the Hurricanes, as defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere saw an offensive zone face-off biscuit fall right into his lap with no one around. He secured the puck on his stick blade and wristed it past Hart for the 4-4 tie.
However, the rollercoaster ride for the Hurricanes didn’t have a happy ending when they got off, with Hertl’s goal, assisted on a crafty Sissons’ pass following a face-off, being the final say in this one.
Game 2 of this series will be played once more in Raleigh on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.
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Jared Grindlinger is not ready to say goodbye to his friends at Huntington Beach High. The likely first-round draft pick didn’t have to play for the Oilers in the Southern California Division I regional playoffs, let alone pitch. But he did both to help Huntington Beach knock off San Diego Open Division champion Patrick Henry 10-3 on Tuesday.
Grindlinger went four for four, including a home run, and finished with three RBIs. He also struck out five in three innings on the mound. Dane Cunningham had a three-run home run. Huntington Beach advances to play the winner of Wednesday’s game between Corona and Chula Vista Eastlake on Thursday.
Cathedral Catholic 4, St. John Bosco 2: The impressive two-year run of St. John Bosco’s baseball team has come to an end. The Braves had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t push across any runs and were eliminated in a first-round Division I game. They won the Southern Section Division 1 title the last two seasons and the regional title last season.
La Mirada 7, Liberty 6: A three-run seventh inning helped the Matadores enjoy their bus ride home from Bakersfield. The big hit was a three-run home run by Justin Torres. La Mirada will face Cathedral Catholic on Thursday in the semifinals.
Arroyo Grande 4, Loyola 3: An RBI single in the eighth inning by Colton Gotchal pushed Arroyo Grande to victory over top-seeded Loyola in Division 2. Jack Murray had a home run and two RBIs for Loyola.
Newport Harbor 2, Madison 0: Gavin Guy threw the shutout with seven strikeouts.
South El Monte 3, Brentwood 2: South El Monte went on the road and pulled off the upset of Division 6 champion Brentwood. Anthony Mata had an RBI single and Gabriel Canchola limited the Eagles to four hits while striking out nine in six innings.
Westview 7, Carson 1: Leadoff hitter Eli Irvine had three hits for the winners.
North Torrance 2, Bell 0: Seth Narasaki and Joey Banuelos combined for the shutout.
Verdugo Hills 11, Rolling Hills Prep 2: Cutlor Fannon finished with three hits and three RBIs for the Dons.
Sports
Naomi Osaka offers uninspiring response about her mindset following French Open loss to Aryna Sabalenka
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Naomi Osaka has made a habit of making headlines with her comments inside the media center at various Grand Slam stops over the years, and this year’s French Open was no different.
The four-time Grand Slam winner lost in straight sets to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (5-7, 3-6) in the fourth round of Roland Garros, which has become a familiar situation for Osaka in her career. The 28-year-old holds a 1-3 record against the Belarusian all-time, with all three of her losses coming in 2026.
While answering questions from the media following her fourth-round exit in France, Osaka was asked if she could take any encouragement from the loss or if she feels daunted about the challenge in closing the gap between herself and Sabalenka.
Naomi Osaka of Japan plays a backhand against Aryna Sabalenka during Day Nine of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on June 1, 2026, in Paris, France. (Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
NAOMI OSAKA’S ALL-BLACK FRENCH OPEN OUTFIT RIVALS HER JELLYFISH-INSPIRED LOOK FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN
The question was a bit strange, as the idea of being encouraged after a third straight loss to the same opponent would be unique, but the question wasn’t nearly as odd as the answer Osaka proceeded to give.
“I don’t know if you knew me before, but I would be very, very disappointed in myself after matches like these. But I kinda realized it doesn’t matter at all,” Osaka began.
“I’ve played her multiple times and sadly to say lost multiple times. The only thing I can keep doing is trying l my best. Maybe, hopefully, it’ll work out in my favor one day. But I can’t let myself be discouraged every time I lose to someone or win against someone. Because honestly, hitting a ball doesn’t really matter, like, on Earth, kind of.”
It doesn’t get more uninspiring than that.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus against Naomi Osaka of Japan during Day Nine of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on June 1, 2026, in Paris, France. (Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
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For a four-time Slam winner and former World No. 1 herself, Osaka admitting aloud that “hitting a ball doesn’t really matter” is shocking.
Naomi Osaka of Japan plays a backhand against Aryna Sabalenka during Day Nine of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on June 1, 2026, in Paris, France. (Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Imagine the level of criticism an NBA superstar would receive if they said “shooting a basketball doesn’t really matter” after a loss, or an NFL quarterback suggesting “throwing a football doesn’t really matter” after a crushing defeat.
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Osaka, however, continuously gets the benefit of the doubt by many in the tennis world despite withdrawing from the 2021 French Open because the pressures of the media were apparently too much for her to handle. She also cried in the media center at Roland Garros a year ago after her first-round exit.
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