UCLA shines in critical moments to defeat LSU and reach Final Four for first time
UCLA players and coaches celebrate after defeating LSU 72-65 in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA tournament on Sunday.
(Young Kwak / Associated Press)
This time, everything came together when it mattered most.
Lauren Betts made sure of it, following one powerful move with another.
This time, the last seconds were full of joyous anticipation.
Kiki Rice made the most of them, sinking two late free throws inside Spokane Arena.
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This time, there was reason to celebrate the meaning of it all.
Gabriela Jaquez made sure to marinate in this moment, bouncing gleefully toward half-court while her teammates formed a joyous mob.
Read more: Lauren Betts dominates again as UCLA advances to Elite Eight showdown with LSU
A year after Louisiana State ended UCLA's season in the NCAA women's basketball tournament, the Bruins returned the favor.
Making the critical plays it needed in the final minutes, top-seeded UCLA pulled away for a 72-65 victory over the third-seeded Tigers on Sunday in a Spokane Regional final, propelling the Bruins to their first Final Four in school history.
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UCLA (34-2) will face either top-seeded USC or second-seeded Connecticut in a national semifinal on Friday at Amalie Arena.
It took some late fortitude to set the stage for the cross-country trip.
With LSU having closed to within 59-53, Jaquez followed two free throws with a three-pointer that she celebrated by raising her arms in triumph. UCLA held a 62-53 lead and just needed to play a clean final 90 seconds.
The Bruins got the job done.
UCLA players celebrate after defeating LSU in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA tournament on Sunday.
(Young Kwak / Associated Press)
This was the long-awaited breakthrough UCLA had been seeking under coach Cori Close, who has taken her teams to the second weekend of this tournament seven times. The Bruins had reached a regional final only once previously under their current coach, losing to Mississippi State in 2018.
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Now they're two victories away from the school's first NCAA title in the sport after winning the 1978 AIAW championship behind the dynamic play of Ann Meyers and Denise Curry.
Joining them in school lore will be Betts, who continued her dominant run in this tournament with 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks. The 6-foot-7 center has now tallied 78 points, 31 rebounds and 11 blocks over her last three games.
Jaquez added 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals and Timea Gardiner made five of eight three-pointers on the way to 15 points. The Bruins celebrated by dumping a cooler of confetti on Close.
Beating LSU (31-6) necessitated a better finish than a year ago, when the Bruins missed their final eight shots while being outscored 14-2 on the way to a 78-69 loss. Showing the poise their coach had referenced her players having on the eve of the rematch, UCLA did not wilt this time.
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Returning from foul trouble to start the second half, Betts quickly reasserted herself. She stepped out to contest an Aneesah Morrow three-pointer that was airballed, made a layup and snagged a defensive rebound. Londynn Jones added a three-pointer to push the Bruins' lead into double digits for the first time, forcing LSU to call a timeout.
UCLA was just getting started. After Jones followed a steal in the backcourt with a jumper and Jaquez added a three-pointer, the Bruins' cushion was up to 43-29 and the Tigers needed another timeout.
UCLA players celebrate after defeating LSU on Sunday to reach the Final Four.
(Young Kwak / Associated Press)
LSU surged to get within 46-41 before Morrow, the Tigers' leading scorer to that point with 13 points, went down with an injury and briefly had to go to the locker room before returning for the fourth quarter. Guard Flau'Jae Johnson led LSU with 28 points.
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After getting played closely in the first half of its most recent tournament victories over Richmond and Mississippi, UCLA's 31-25 halftime lead over the Tigers felt like a massive edge. It largely came courtesy of Gardiner's making all three three-pointers she took in the second quarter, helping the Bruins withstand playing the entire quarter without Betts because of foul trouble.
Earlier this week, Close had said she wanted her team to be able to push through chaos and have the flexibility to play the game 'like an art project, not a scientific formula.' That chaos came in the form of playing so many minutes without the team's best player.
Betts had asserted herself in the early going, blocking two shots in the first 10 seconds and making three of five shots before exiting the game. But despite a prolonged shooting slump by the Tigers, who missed 14 of their first 16 shots, UCLA could not build more than a five-point lead. Two missed layups and three missed free throws were largely to blame.
Read more: UCLA finds its Dylan Andrews replacement in former New Mexico standout Donovan Dent
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Things deteriorated further for the Bruins late in the first quarter when Betts was called for her second foul, sending her to the bench for the rest of the first half. But then something encouraging happened: UCLA went on a run.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Jaquez and Gardiner capped a 12-2 push that gave the Bruins a 23-17 advantage and swung the momentum hugely in their favor.
They would not let up, this time different from so many others.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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