"Didn't show up the way we needed to today": Lauren Betts sounds off on UCLA's win over Penn State despite record-tying performance

UCLA star Lauren Betts had a dominant performance against Penn State on Wednesday, but she was not satisfied with the Bruins' overall effort. Betts scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as No. 1 UCLA earned an 83-67 win to improve to 17-0 overall, setting a program record for best start to a season.

The matchup shifted to Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California due to raging wildfires in the region. Despite the slow start, UCLA took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Lady Lions 27-11 to take a 44-30 lead at the half.

"I just think we didn't show up the way we needed to today," Betts said postgame (3:49). "I thought, like Coach Cory said, I'm not trying to crap all over my team, I just think that in practice, preparing for this game, we could have done a little better."

"I thought it just showed a little bit today, but I just know how capable we are as a team, and I just know what we're trying to do ... we just have to make sure we always hold ourselves to the highest standard at all times."

In addition, Lauren Betts tied a school record with seven blocked shots, further cementing her dominance on the defensive end.

UCLA coach Cori Close credits Lauren Betts for carrying the team

While the Bruins did not play their best overall against Penn State, UCLA coach Cori Close praised the team's star center Lauren Betts for leading the team to victory.

"I congratulate Lauren. I think she covered for a lot of things," Close said postgame (0:18). "I don’t think we played well enough collectively to win, but Lauren really covered for us, especially on the defensive end, and being an anchor who we could go inside to.

"I thought she covered for how poorly we played. So credit to her for that, and obviously, her blocks are a big deal, but I like even more when she switches out on those guards. They think they can take her to the rack, and she never gets beaten."

Lauren Betts achieved her ninth double-double of the season and scored 20 or more points in a game for the eighth time this year. She also added seven blocks in the game, bringing her season total to 36.

The 6-foot-7 junior blocked 59 shots last season, the third-highest single-season total in UCLA history. After 17 games, Betts is just 23 blocks away from tying that record. Add eight more and she will have the school record, surpassing Monique Billings' 66 blocks from the 2017-18 season.