Bruins Display Team Play against Buckeyes 

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

    The Top Seed UCLA Bruins never trailed in a 72-62 win over the # 5 Seed Ohio State Buckeyes in the First Semifinal of the Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Saturday Afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. UCLA is 30-1 on the season and will advance to Championship for the second straight year tomorrow at 2:15 PM on CBS.

   The Bruins beat USC in the Big Ten Championship Game a year ago 72-65 and will look for a repeat title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and lock up a Number 1 seed for the Big Dance. Ohio State 26-7 will return to Columbus and wait a week from tomorrow to find out where they will be seeded for the NCAA Tournament when the field is announced next Sunday Night at 8 PM on ESPN.

    Kiki Rice led UCLA with 17 points as five Bruins scored double figures. Lauren Betts, who was named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player a year ago, scored 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Angela Dugalic added 14 points and 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and a steal. Gianna Kneepkens scored 13 points, and Gabriella Jaquez added 10 points. UCLA finished 28-63 from the field for 44%, 6-19 from three-point range for 31% and 10-12 from the free throw line for 83%.

   The Bruins had 34 rebounds, 20 assists, 10 steals, 6 blocks and 12 turnovers. UCLA scored 26 points in the paint, 16 bench points, 13 points off turnovers, 10 second chance points and 7 fastbreak points. The Bruins did not score a field goal for the last 3:12 UCLA did have a couple of scoring droughts but their inside-outside play on offense and their shot blocking ability was too much for the Buckeyes to handle.

   Chance Gray led Ohio State with 23 points, Jaloni Cambridge scored 12 points, and Elsa Lemmila scored 10 points and 6 rebounds. The Buckeyes finished the game 21-57 for 36%, 6-18 from three-point range for 33% and 14-15 from the free throw line for 93%. Ohio State had 34 rebounds, 16 assists, 6 steals, 4 blocks and 15 turnovers. Ohio State scored 30 points in the paint, 16 points off turnovers, 12 fastbreak points, 11 second chance points and 8 bench points. The Buckeyes did not score a field goal for the final 2:12 of the game.

   UCLA started the game with an 8-0 lead and made it 12-3 after the Burins hit five straight field goals and made six of their first seven shots from the field. Ohio State outscored UCLA 7-2 in the rest of the quarter as UCLA led 14-10 after the first quarter. UCLA outscored Ohio State 18-11 in the second quarter as the Bruins led 32-21 at halftime.

  UCLA outscored Ohio State 20-19 in the third quarter as the Bruins led 52-40 heading into the fourth quarter. Ohio State outscored UCLA 22-20 in the fourth quarter but neither team could hit a field goal down the stretch and UCLA continues its quest for back-to-back Big Ten Tournament Championships and Ohio State who has not made the Big Ten Championship Game since 2023 heads back to Columbus to get ready for the NCAA Tournament.