- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,150,979
- Reaction score
- 59
UCLA was tight early against No. 3 Duke on Sunday and went into halftime trailing for just the second time this season.
But the top-seeded Bruins settled in after halftime for a 70-58 win in the Sacramento 2 regional final. With the win, UCLA advances to the Final Four. It joins reigning champion UConn, which beat Notre Dame earlier Sunday.
UCLA entered the tournament and Sunday’s game as a heavy favorite to make the Final Four. The Bruins took a 34-1 record into Sunday’s with its only loss this season in November against Texas. Since then, the Bruins rolled through a difficult Big Ten slate to earn a No. 1 seed and enter the NCAA tournament as the perceived top challenger to UConn’s throne.
But Duke, fresh off a thriller to topple 2 seed LSU, entered Sunday’s game with confidence. And the Blue Devils forced the Bruins off their game for the first 20 minutes.
A UCLA team that averaged 12.4 turnovers per game committed 12 in the first half. The Bruins were 0 for 4 from 3 in the first half and Duke challenged a normally dominant rebounding UCLA team on the boards.
Duke took a 39-31 lead into the break, and UCLA trailed at halftime for just the second time this season. The first was its 76-65 loss to Texas on Nov. 26.
But a different Bruins team came out after halftime. UCLA scored seven points on its first three possessions, including its first 3 of the game by Gabriela Jaquez to help ease the congestion in the paint.
By late in the third quarter, UCLA had ripped off 16-6 run and taken a 47-45 lead, its first since the first minute of the game. The Bruins were aggressive on offense and effective on defense. They forced repeated Blue Devils misses and eventually reeled off a 9-0 run, holding Duke scoreless for a nearly six-minute stretch. Duke went 3 of 17 from the field in the third quarter as UCLA took control with a 20-8 advantage in the stanza.
And Duke, ultimately, had no answer inside for All-America center Lauren Betts. Betts dominated the post, tallying 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks while shooting 9 of 14 from the field.
The game was a rare test for UCLA, which secured 32 of its previous 34 wins by double figures and entered Sunday on a 28-game win streak. It thrived under the late pressure while keeping Duke at bay in the fourth quarter.
The Bruins now head to the Final Four with a potential matchup against the only team to beat them. UCLA will face the winner of Monday’s game between No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 Michigan.
UConn will face the winner between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 TCU. If South Carolina advances, the Huskies and Gamecocks will meet in the semifinal in a matchup of three of the last four national champions.
Continue reading...
But the top-seeded Bruins settled in after halftime for a 70-58 win in the Sacramento 2 regional final. With the win, UCLA advances to the Final Four. It joins reigning champion UConn, which beat Notre Dame earlier Sunday.
Duke takes early control for rare UCLA test
UCLA entered the tournament and Sunday’s game as a heavy favorite to make the Final Four. The Bruins took a 34-1 record into Sunday’s with its only loss this season in November against Texas. Since then, the Bruins rolled through a difficult Big Ten slate to earn a No. 1 seed and enter the NCAA tournament as the perceived top challenger to UConn’s throne.
But Duke, fresh off a thriller to topple 2 seed LSU, entered Sunday’s game with confidence. And the Blue Devils forced the Bruins off their game for the first 20 minutes.
A UCLA team that averaged 12.4 turnovers per game committed 12 in the first half. The Bruins were 0 for 4 from 3 in the first half and Duke challenged a normally dominant rebounding UCLA team on the boards.
Duke took a 39-31 lead into the break, and UCLA trailed at halftime for just the second time this season. The first was its 76-65 loss to Texas on Nov. 26.
Bruins regroup, take over after halftime
But a different Bruins team came out after halftime. UCLA scored seven points on its first three possessions, including its first 3 of the game by Gabriela Jaquez to help ease the congestion in the paint.
By late in the third quarter, UCLA had ripped off 16-6 run and taken a 47-45 lead, its first since the first minute of the game. The Bruins were aggressive on offense and effective on defense. They forced repeated Blue Devils misses and eventually reeled off a 9-0 run, holding Duke scoreless for a nearly six-minute stretch. Duke went 3 of 17 from the field in the third quarter as UCLA took control with a 20-8 advantage in the stanza.
And Duke, ultimately, had no answer inside for All-America center Lauren Betts. Betts dominated the post, tallying 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks while shooting 9 of 14 from the field.
The game was a rare test for UCLA, which secured 32 of its previous 34 wins by double figures and entered Sunday on a 28-game win streak. It thrived under the late pressure while keeping Duke at bay in the fourth quarter.
The Bruins now head to the Final Four with a potential matchup against the only team to beat them. UCLA will face the winner of Monday’s game between No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 Michigan.
UConn will face the winner between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 TCU. If South Carolina advances, the Huskies and Gamecocks will meet in the semifinal in a matchup of three of the last four national champions.
Continue reading...
