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UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) drives as Washington forward Dalayah Daniels (14) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

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SEATTLE — Lauren Betts had 23 points and top-ranked UCLA women’s basketball survived a late challenge with a 73-62 victory over Washington in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

Kiki Rice added 18 for the undefeated Bruins (9-0, 1-0), who led by as many as 17 in the third quarter.

Elle Ladine led the Huskies (7-3, 0-1) with 19 points, going 3 for 5 from beyond the arc. Dalayah Daniels added 14 points.

Sayvia Sellers and Ladine hit back-to-back 3-pointer to close Washington’s deficit to 64-59 with 4:04 left. But the Bruins answered with a 7-0 run and were not threatened the rest of the way.

UCLA led 35-25 at the half.

UCLA: Despite having its toughest rebounding battle of the season, UCLA outscored its hosts 50-22 in the paint, and 12-3 on the fastbreak.

Washington: It’s the second close loss to a top-10 team for the Huskies, who fell to No. 5 LSU 68-67 in the Bahamas on Nov. 25 in a game they led until the final seconds.