This post was updated Dec. 15 at 1:02 p.m.

Cori Close has reached a summit for UCLA head coaches.

A 102-51 victory for No. 1 UCLA women’s basketball (10-0, 1-0 Big Ten) against Long Beach State (5-4, 2-0 Big West) at Walter Pyramid on Saturday marked Close’s 297th win as the Bruins’ head coach. By breaking the record of former head coach Billie Moore, Close now holds the most career wins in program history. 

“It’s not a job – it’s a calling for us. It’s what we’re meant to do to make a difference in other people’s lives,” Close said. “And so it really is much deeper than wins and losses, and hopefully wins are just a byproduct of pouring into people’s habits and hearts and helping them become the best version of themselves.”

The Bruins wasted no time getting on the board. Junior center Lauren Betts threw the first punch with a layup in the first 15 seconds of the game. From there, UCLA reached a double-digit lead within the first four minutes. 

Meanwhile, the Beach did not reach double figures until four minutes into the second quarter. Despite taking 15 shots, Long Beach State struggled to get the ball through the net – scoring just 12 points in the second quarter. Even a failed breakaway from guard JaQuoia Jones-Brown resulted in Betts’ eighth point of the game.

By the end of the first half, the Bruins held a 29-point lead over the Beach.

“In the locker room, we talked about always just holding ourselves to the highest standard,” Betts said. “Making sure that we’re always boxing out. Passion plays is something that we always talk about. We need to always get those up. So I think (it’s) just a little things that we can always work on as a team.”

Long Beach State forward Rachel Loobie opened the second half with a 3-pointer in the first minute. But it was not enough to slow down UCLA, which responded with eight consecutive points. 

Junior forward Janiah Barker took it a step further with a layup that gave UCLA a 40-point lead for the first time in the game. Although the Beach quickly brought the lead back below 40, Barker shot a 3-pointer that put the Bruins up by 42 points three minutes later. 

The Texas A&M transfer totaled 15 points in the second half compared to just four points in the first. Five Bruins recorded double-digit points, including graduate student forward Angela Dugalić, who set a new career high with 22 points.

“I think we have the best coaching staff in the nation,” Dugalić said. “I think credit to them, and also just credit to my teammates because every day is an opportunity to learn and grow.”

For the Beach, only forward Jada Crawshaw matched the offensive prowess of the Bruins. The 2023-24 Big West All-Freshman Team selection notched 19 points for Long Beach State. She scored 14 of the Beach’s 31 points in the second half.

“She had herself a night, and we rotated a lot of people on her, and she found ways to score,” Close said. “(Junior guard) Kiki Rice stepped up and said, ‘I want to guard her.’ And so we put Kiki on her. And I think from the almost four-minute mark on, we didn’t allow them another bucket.”

In addition to Close’s record and Dugalić’s new career high, the Bruins accumulated the most points in a single game this season. The game marked the second time this season UCLA has reached the 100-point mark, with the first being 101 points against Arkansas on Nov. 17. 

Betts also earned her seventh double-double of the season, tying for third in the NCAA. The All-Pac-12 selection logged 22 points and 10 rebounds across the full game. 

UCLA has two more games until resuming Big Ten conference play against its first ranked opponent since then-No. 1 South Carolina in No. 24 Nebraska. The squad will face Cal Poly on Monday night in Pauley Pavilion.