No. 1 UCLA put together a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 8 Ohio State, 65-52 and mark its longest win streak in program history at 22 games.
Lauren Betts led the Bruins with a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double, followed by 17 points and six rebounds from Gabriela Jaquez. Jaquez put up 11 points in the fourth, going 5-for-6 from the field to help the Bruins breakaway from the Buckeyes.
With the win, UCLA sits at 22-0 overall and 9-0 in conference standings while Ohio State drops to No. 3 in the Big Ten, sitting at 9-1 in conference play and 20-2 overall.
The Buckeyes struck first, startling their undefeated hosts with lockdown defense, forcing five UCLA turnovers in the opening minutes of the game. Ohio State converted those turnovers into seven points for a 13-9 lead by the first media timeout.
Recovering from the slow first quarter, Lauren Betts jump-started the Bruins offense with a 10-point second quarter to finish with a double-double by the end of the first half.
Ohio State’s momentum cooled off with Betts’ rise, as star forward Cotie McMahon was held to just four points across the first half, going 1-for-8 from the field.
However, McMahon was the spark the Buckeyes needed to stay in it come the third quarter. McMahon and freshman Jaloni Cambridge combined to steer the Buckeyes to an 11-8 run, bringing Ohio State within three points of the Bruins and forcing a UCLA timeout with 3:20 left in the third.
McMahon then went on for six consecutive points, knocking down a jumper in the final seconds of the third to lift Ohio State within a single possession of the Bruins, 44-42.
The Buckeye momentum didn’t last very long. Kiki Rice opened the fourth quarter with four consecutive points for the Bruins. Rice and Jacquez combined for 17 of UCLA’s 21 fourth-quarter points. McMahon was held to just two points after a dominant third quarter.
