Powerful matchups in opposition to one of the best expertise within the nation are anticipated to assist the UCLA ladies’s basketball workforce make a deep run in March, and the Bruins confronted one in every of their hardest exams in a extremely anticipated showdown in opposition to Ohio State at Pauley Pavilion.
No. 1 UCLA in the end got here out on prime, turning a three-point lead right into a 13-point victory to fend off No. 8 Ohio State, 65-52, in a Huge Ten showdown and enhance to 22-0.
After their third win over a top-10 opponent and tenth in a row in convention play, coach Cori Shut instructed her gamers they wanted a recreation like Wednesday night time’s, crammed with “chaos and disappointment.”
Within the first half, Shut mentioned her workforce fell into enjoying Ohio State’s recreation, which threw the Bruins out of rhythm and led to a back-and-forth battle.
“Ohio State is the first team that made us play that way, and really were the more aggressive team for a long time,” Shut mentioned. “But, it forced us to go to another level of toughness to get the win.”
UCLA struggled early in opposition to Ohio State’s stringent full-court press, which ceaselessly disrupted the offense and made it tough to advance the ball. The strain pressured the Bruins into 14 first-half turnovers, together with eight steals, resulting in transition scores for the Buckeyes and including to UCLA’s frustration.
“They really turned us over, which was way uncharacteristic for our team, and then they attacked us in transition,” Shut mentioned. “They were effective in getting to their spots.”
UCLA guard Kiki Rice grabs the ball from Ohio State ahead Cotie McMahon to begin a quick break within the second half.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
UCLA, which led by as many as 11, entered the fourth quarter clinging to a two-point lead. Ohio State rapidly erased it with a jumper, tying the rating at 44-44.
From there, the Bruins unleashed an 18-1 run, fueled by Gabriela Jaquez, who scored 9 factors within the quarter, and Kiki Rice, who scored eight. The surge prolonged UCLA’s result in 18 with 3:16 remaining, crushing any hopes of a Buckeyes comeback.
Jaquez, who struggled within the first half with simply two factors, got here out of the locker room with a unique method.
“I took time in the locker room, just calmed myself down,” Jaquez mentioned. “I remembered what I learned and just came out there and played with my teammates and had fun.”
Jaquez completed with 17 factors, Rice with 12. Star heart Lauren Betts led the best way with 19 factors on eight-for-13 taking pictures.
Regardless of a blown lead, Shut mentioned her workforce performed one of the best when it counted, within the fourth quarter.
“We had to find a way to buckle down and do it with toughness, rebounding and defense,” Shut added. “That’s exactly what happened in the fourth quarter.”
The Bruins dominated the boards, outrebounding the Buckeyes 49-33, with Betts main the best way. She grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds, securing her twelfth double-double.
UCLA’s protection, notably within the second half, performed an important position within the victory. The Bruins held Ohio State, which entered the sport averaging 81.6 factors per contest, to 52 on 20-for-68 taking pictures (29.4%).
“Once we locked in and did what the coaches told us to do a bit more consistently, that just worked for us,” Betts mentioned. “Passion plays are something we always talk about, and in the fourth quarter, we had a lot of deflections and took control of their offense.”
Regardless of the back-and-forth battle, Betts mentioned the strain within the largest video games has helped them modify and step up when wanted.
UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez leads her workforce onto the court docket earlier than the sport.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
“Once it [the pressure] happened in this game, we were kind of ready for it,” Betts mentioned. “We went off of what we do every day, where we hold each other accountable. And sometimes it’s hard, but we just take it and just move on.”
Shut and her workforce will proceed to face strain as the one unbeaten workforce within the nation. Shut welcomes it as a chance to see how her workforce adapts.
“Bottom line is, I thought they really gutted it out, responded to some adversity,” Shut mentioned. “They were the tougher team; that’s hard to teach. I thought we had to experience that and find a way to win.”
