The Gophers women's basketball team kept it close for a while, but it ultimately wasn't able to keep up with top-ranked UCLA over the final two quarters in what became a 79-53 blowout Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

Entering the final quarter with just two points to her name, 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts found yet another way to contribute to a Bruin win. Etching a career-high 11 assists, Betts embraced her role as a facilitator.

Minnesota (18-5, 6-5 Big Ten) held UCLA star center Lauren Betts to just six points — 14 below her season average — but the junior used the added defensive attention to her teammates’ advantage. Betts finished with 11 assists on a day when the Bruins hit 13 triples on 40 percent shooting from deep.

UCLA women's basketball had shared the lead in the Big Ten women's basketball standings for most of the past month. Now, the Bruins stand alone. USC women's basketball lost at Iowa on Sunday. Coupled with UCLA's 79-53 win over Minnesota,