Even as the Super Bowl captured the nation’s attention, a thrilling Big Ten matchup caught the eye of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. After No. 2 UCLA, led by Lauren Betts and coached by Cori Close, secured a hard-fought 69-66 road win over No. 8 Michigan, the prominent analyst joined the chorus of praise for the Bruins’ impressive streak.

ESPN’s sports analyst gave a special shout-out to UCLA after the crucial win on his social media post. He also flaunted his personal relationship with the Bruins’ coach, Cori Close.

“I see you! Congrats to my friend, Coach Close and her Lady Bruins, #2 ranked UCLA knocked off #8 ranked Michigan and won their 17th straight,” Smith wrote in a reply to UCLA’s celebratory post on X. Betts recorded the 42nd double-double of her collegiate career. She led the Bruins in both points and rebounds.

“Lauren Betts had 16 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and three blocks to help No. 2 UCLA for a 69-66 win on Super Bowl Sunday,” Smith also gave her a special shout-out.

The victory was UCLA’s 17th straight in Big Ten play, further cementing their dominance in the conference. The Bruins had a tough task against Michigan, a team with a nine-game winning streak in the Big Ten. They even looked fazed in the first period when they shot just 33.3% from the field, including a poor 16% from the 3-point line. However, they quickly regained their footing in the game and outscored their opponents by 13 points in the next two periods.

“We have to be prepared for whatever the game is giving us,” Rice said after the game. “Today felt like some threes weren’t falling, shots weren’t falling, but that’s kind of the specialty of our team. We have so many people who can score, so many ways we can score.”

In the 2nd quarter, the Bruins shot over 60 percent, including from the 3-point line. However, the Wolverines’ offense remained stuck for the rest of the game, and it was largely due to UCLA’s game plan.

Lauren Betts reveals what went behind UCLA’s comeback win over Michigan

Last month, when Close asked her team what they had conquered after a blowout 80-46 win over Northwestern. Betts came forward and said she had “conquered being frustrated with the officials” and being frustrated with her own game. Betts, in her senior year, has learned to be patient and understand the more crucial part of an assignment in winning a basketball game.

On Sunday, Michigan surprised the Big Ten leaders. They showed physicality, rebounded well and dominated the paint. The Bruins quickly turned the tide in the next period and gave Michigan a taste of their own medicine.

“They were playing really aggressively with us, so I was like, ‘Why don’t we do the same thing back?’” Betts said about UCLA’s strategy in beating Michigan. “Once we started rebounding and locking in on taking away their best players … that was just really important for us.”

The Bruins took full advantage of their length and outscored the Wolverines by 46-32 in the paint. Kiki Rice led UCLA with 20 points, along with Gianna Kneepkens and Gabriela Jaquez, who added 12 and 13 points, respectively. UCLA will end its Michigan road trip later next week on Feb. 11. They will face Michigan State on Wednesday in East Lansing.

With wins like this, UCLA keeps proving why fans believe this team can make a serious run in March. They showed toughness, balance, and composure on the road, exactly what championship teams are composed of. Now, with another big matchup against Michigan State coming up, Bruins fans will be eager to see if this squad can keep the momentum rolling.