UCLA Carries Perfect Big Ten Season to Tournament Title Game

No. 1 seed UCLA is poised to defend its Big Ten Tournament title after punching its ticket to the championship game with a commanding 72-62 win over Ohio State in the semifinals. The Bruins came out strong, opening with a 14-3 run led by Kiki Rice, and built an 11-point halftime lead thanks to balanced scoring from seven players. Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic anchored the second quarter, while UCLA’s defense held Big Ten scoring leader Jaloni Cambridge to just two first-half points.

Despite a valiant effort from Ohio State’s Chance Gray, who tallied 23 points, the Bruins maintained control with steady offense and just 12 turnovers against an OSU defense that forces an average of 21.7 per game. Betts, the Big Ten Player and Defensive Player of the Year, led UCLA’s charge in the fourth, extending its lead to 13 points.

Five Bruins ended in double figures, showcasing their depth. UCLA’s defense forced 15 Buckeye turnovers, converting them into 13 points. The defending champions remain undefeated in Big Ten play heading into the championship game... 👀

In the championship game tomorrow, No. 1 seed UCLA will now face the winner of No. 2 seed Iowa vs. No. 3 seed Michigan. Want to see it in person?  Click here  .

Quarter-by-quarter breakdown of the semifinal showdown below!

First Quarter: UCLA comes out swinging

• The Bruins start red-hot with a 14-3 run over the first few minutes, led by six points from Kiki Rice. Seems like they learned from their slow start in the quarterfinals !
• Kylee Kitts stops the Buckeyes' scoring drought with a triple. 14-6 UCLA at 2:23.
• Chance Gray nets her second three of the day to make it 14-10 Bruins at the end of Q1.

Second Quarter: An 11-point lead at half

• Six different Bruins score in the opening 6.5 minutes to grow UCLA's lead to 30-14. Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic lead the way with four Q2 points each.
• Gray comes up with two points on the fastbreak for OSU to end UCLA's 10-0 run. She follows it with another three.
• Ohio State loses a timeout after attempting to appeal an out-of-bounds call.
• Kitts drives for a Buckeye layup. UCLA leads 32-21 at halftime.
• Notable: 26 (81%) of UCLA's first-half points are two-pointers, while 12 (57%) of OSU's points have come from beyond the arc.
• Notable: Seven different Bruins found the scoreboard in the first two quarters, and three are in double figures.
• Notable: UCLA held Jaloni Cambridge, the Big Ten's leading scorer, to just two points in the first half. She averages 23.1 points per game.
• Key contributor (OSU): Chance Gray has 11 of Ohio State's 21 first-half points. The team's next-highest point scorer has five (Kitts).

Third Quarter: Staying steady

• The teams go score-for-score to start the third. Cambridge gets four points in the first 1:36.
• Gray gets fouled on a three and drains each free throw to cut into UCLA's lead. 38-30 Bruins (7:36).
• Cambridge, Gray, Kitts, and Kennedy Cambridge all score for the Buckeyes, but Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens, Betts, and Rice keep the Bruins ahead, 52-40, and the end of Q3.
• Notable: A big part of Ohio State's game is forcing turnovers. However, the Bruins have been able to take care of the basketball with only eight turnovers heading into the final period. The Buckeyes have 15 – including 10 Bruin steals – which UCLA has converted to 13 points.

Fourth quarter: Finishing the job

• The Buckeyes and Bruins go point-for-point over the first two minutes.
• A Betts layup gives UCLA its largest lead of the day, 62-49, with 5:47 remaining.
• Gray claps back with five straight Buckeye points. 62-54 Bruins at the media timeout (4:38).
• Dugalic and Jaquez become the fourth and fifth Bruins to hit double-digits.
• More back-and-forth action, but UCLA maintains its advantage. Ohio State tries to push the pace, but the Bruins settle in and use the clock. 60-69 UCLA with 1:57 left.
• Notable: Charlisse Leger-Walker (UCLA) fouls out.
• Free throws down the stretch cap off UCLA's 72-62 win. The Bruins advance to their second consecutive tournament title game!

Want more features like this?  Click here  and tell us who you root for.