This post was updated Jan. 11 at 11:04 p.m.

No. 4 UCLA women’s basketball (15-1, 5-0 Big Ten) opened its stretch away from Pauley Pavilion with a 83-61 win against No. 25 Nebraska (14-3, 3-3) on Sunday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Bruins wasted little time setting the tone in the opening quarter against the Cornhuskers, forcing multiple turnovers in the first three minutes. 

Senior guard Kiki Rice capitalized on those disruptions, scoring UCLA’s first bucket on a jumper off a takeaway before assisting senior forward Gabriela Jaquez on a layup, giving the Bruins a 4-0 lead.

UCLA’s pressure continued, amounting to three turnovers in the first five minutes.

Nebraska briefly responded with a 3-pointer from guard Britt Prince, cutting into the deficit, but the Cornhuskers continued to miss open looks as UCLA closed out on the perimeter. 

UCLA strung together a decisive stretch midway through the opening quarter. Graduate student guard Gianna Kneepkens knocked down a jumper and later converted a fast break layup following another Nebraska turnover, pushing the Bruins’ lead to 10-7. 

With just over two minutes remaining in the quarter, the Cornhuskers were shooting a mere 30% from the field – and missed shots allowed the Bruins to extend their lead to six points entering the second quarter. 

The Bruins continued to widen the gap, despite a brief Nebraska surge off guard Logan Nissley’s 3-pointer. It was senior center Lauren Betts who capitalized from inside the paint, finishing a second-chance opportunity on the interior before Rice attacked the rim to draw contact and a flagrant foul on the Cornhuskers.

The back-to-back scoring plays reflected a season-long strength for the Bruins, who entered the game ranked second in the Big Ten in second-chance opportunities. Finishing the half, UCLA collected five offensive rebounds, leading to seven second-chance points. 

As the quarter wore on, Kneepkens emerged as the game’s catalyst. The Duluth, Minnesota, local knocked down a transition 3-pointer, followed by a basket off another Nebraksa turnover, pushing her point total into double figures.

By halftime, Kneepkens led all scorers with 11 points, going 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Rice and Betts each added nine points as well, and their accuracy in the paint helped the Bruins finish the first two frames with a 50% clip from the field. 

The Bruins continued to control the third quarter. After Nebraska cut the margin to 37-27 on a translation layup, UCLA answered immediately as Betts finished in the paint again. 

The Bruins then forced consecutive stops, capped by a block from senior guard Gabriela Jaquez and a defensive rebound. 

Freshman forward Sienna Betts added to the board as UCLA continued to pull away in the third quarter. A layup in the paint to extend the Bruins’ lead to 52-32 marked Betts’ third collegiate appearance after missing the start of the season because of a left lower leg injury. 

UCLA then forced a turnover, leading to a fast-break layup by Kneepkens to push the lead to 59-36. Despite late Nebraska free throws, the Bruins went into the final minute of the period with a 20-point advantage. 

Even as Nebraska inched back into the game with a largely unanswered run of points from Nissley and forward Jessica Petrie, graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker knocked down a 3-pointer to restore a comfortable margin before Lauren Betts capped the night with a layup in the final minutes.

The reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year not only led the Bruins with 18 points and 10 rebounds – good for her fifth double-double of the season – but finished the game with four blocks and five steals to place her firmly at the helm of her team’s defensive effort.

Coach Cori Close’s squad will continue its bout of midwest travel with a game against Minnesota on Wednesday.