UCLA can’t stop LSU run, falls in Sweet 16
LSU 74, UCLA 68, final
Angela Dugalic missed an inside shot after the timeout, then she was called for a foul on Angel Reese that UCLA contested.
Reese hit both free throws to give LSU a one-point lead with 1:45 left.
Flau’jae Johnson blocked Kiki Rice driving inside and Rice fouled Johnson, sending Johnson to the line since it was the fifth team foul. She hit both free throws to extend the LSU lead to three.
Rice drove inside and missed everything, but Johnson stepped out on the rebound.
Gabriela Jaquez missed inside and Lauren Betts got the rebound. Aneesah Morrow fouled Betts. Reese thought it might have been her fifth, but it was not.
Betts hit one of two free throws and LSU rebounded.
Reese drove and was blocked Betts, but Johnson got the rebound, drove around and hit the layup.
Kiki Rice drove and was called for an offensive foul, knocking her out of the game.
UCLA trailed 72-68 with 39.3 seconds left.
UCLA fouled Hailey Van Lith with 36 seconds left. She hit both free throws and UCLA called timeout.
The Bruins hit one free throw, but the Tigers tacked on another six shots from the line.
LSU closed the contest on a 14-2 run, ending UCLA’s season.
UCLA holds slim lead
UCLA 67, LSU 66, 2:26 left in fourth
Lauren Betts checked back in after the timeout with four fouls.
Charisma Osborne hit a long jumper with the shot clock running down.
Angel Reese scored on the other end after a drive and dish from Aneesha Morrow. Betts was limited in how she could contest thanks to foul trouble.
Gabriel Jaquez then hit a jumper and Morrow scored.
LSU then called timeout.
Lauren Betts picks up fourth foul
UCLA 63, LSU 62, 3:50 in fourth
Gabriela Jaquez hit one of two free throws.
Lauren Betts delivered a big block and was fouled on the next possession. She hit two free throws.
Angel Reese checked back in with four fouls.
Betts picked up her fourth foul with 4:01 left and went to the bench.
With Betts out, Flau’jae Johnson hit a laypup and UCLA coach Cori Close called timeout.
Gabriela Jaquez hustle plays boost UCLA
UCLA 60, LSU 60, 4:58 left in the fourth
Angel Reese remains on the bench due to foul trouble.
Lauren Betts missed a jump and LSU hit one, but Gabriela Jaquez countered with a quick layup to tie the game.
UCLA got a defense stop and ran its halfcourt set. Betts spun inside and missed, but Jaquez was fouled trying to put back the offensive rebound, triggering the TV timeout.
UCLA calls timeout after LSU erases Bruins’ lead
UCLA 58, LSU 58, 6:41 left in the fourth quarter
Kiki Rice waived off a passing opportunity inside to Lauren Betts, then drove past Betts as she cleared out and Rice hit a reverse layup and was fouled by Hailey Van Lith. Rice hit the free throw.
Angel Reese scored inside and was fouled by Angela Dugalic. She missed the free throw.
Betts scored inside on the next possession.
Aneesah Morrow hit a jumper.
Angela Dugalic turned the ball over to Morrow, then UCLA stole the ball from Morrow a few seconds later.
UCLA struggled to get the ball to Betts, but Rice was able to peel around and drew a foul on Reese. It was Reese’s fourth foul.
Rice hit both free throws to give UCLA a 55-52 lead with 8:16 left in the fourth.
Morrow was fouled by Christeen Iwuala and Moore hit both free throws.
Rice hesitated while driving the ball and turned it over. LSU then scored in transition to take the lead.
Charisma Osborne connected on a long three pointer.
LSU missed from three and UCLA got the ball, but a poor pass to Betts gave the ball back to LSU.
Mikaylah Williams hit a layup to tie the game and UCLA called timeout.
UCLA finally hits outside shots to get back into the game
UCLA 48, LSU 48, end of third quarter
Flau’jae Johnson blocked Lauren Betts’ shot inside, then was called for an offensive foul while driving the other direction.
Betts kicked the ball out to Gabriela Jaquez on the next play, but Jaquez traveled after the catch.
Aalyah Del Rosario was called for an offensive foul on the next play.
Betts kicked the ball to Camryn Brown for a layup.
LSU’s Aneesah Morrow then was called for another offensive foul, her third foul of the game, and Tigers coach Kim Mulkey complained to the refs.
After working the ball inside to Betts, UCLA shifted the ball around the perimeter before Londynn Jones hit a three pointer.
UCLA got a defensive stop and Jones hit another three pointer in transition, extending an 8-0 run and giving the Bruins a 45-44 lead with 2:42 left in the third.
Johnson socred a layup on the next possession before Charisma Osborne added a three pointer for UCLA.
Reese missed inside, but Jones missed a three pointer on the other end.
Brown was called for a foul and Morrow missed both free throws. UCLA missed inside.
Betts blocked an LSU shot and the ball hit an LSU player before going out of bounds, giving UCLA the chance to hold for the final shot of the period.
Osborne tried to dump the ball into Betts and the center was called for her third foul as she tried to get to the ball.
With 15.3 seconds left, Reese hit both free throws and left the game to avoid picking up another foul.
UCLA missed a three pointer at the buzzer, but the third-quarter surge put the Bruins back in a game that was threatening to get out of hand thanks to its outside shooting woes.
UCLA trims LSU lead, but foul trouble looms large
LSU 44, 37 UCLA, 4:53 in third quarter
UCLA picks up a defensive stop to open the third quarter, but the Angel Reese picks up a steal inside on the other end for LSU.
The Bruins rebound a missed LSU shot, but Flau’jae Johnson stole the ball and found Hailey Van Lith for a jumper.
Lauren Betts found Gabriela Jaquez for bucket inside. UCLA stole the ball and Kiki Rice hit an uncontested transition layup, trimming LSU’s lead to five.
Reese got the ball inside and Betts was called for her second foul. Reese hit both free throws.
Rice missed a three pointer, touching the front of the rim. LSU also put up an errant shot.
Jaquez tried to feed Betts, but turned the ball over. LSU then missed.
UCLA missed a bucket inside, but Jaquez got the loose ball to reset. LSU then fouled.
Londynn Jones missed a three, Betts rebounded and Reese picked up her third foul.
Betts hit one of two free throws. Reese has stayed in the game.
LSU worked the ball inside to Flau’jae Johnson and Rice picked up her third foul and Johnson hit both free throws.
Reese went to the bench. Jones, who was one for eight, hit a three pointer.
After an LSU jumper, Betts countered with a jumper of her own.
Charisma Osborne picked up her third foul on an in bounds play. Rice went to the bench with her third foul, while Osborne stayed in the game.
LSU’s Aneesah Morrow scored inside and Jones missed another shot from long range.
UCLA got an offensive rebound and LSU deflected it out of bounds, triggering the TV timeout.
Poor outside shooting threatens to sink UCLA
LSU 34, UCLA 27, halftime
Aneesah Morrow drove and scored coming out of the LSU timeout with 3:31 left in the second quarter.
UCLA missed another three pointer, with the Bruins now 1 for 14 from long range.
Angel Reese found Morrow for another bucket inside.
LSU kicked the ball as UCLA struggled to get the ball inside to Betts, who has had few second quarter touches.
Kiki Rice tried to push the ball inside off a handoff at the top of the key from Betts, but her shot was blocked by Reese.
On the other end, Betts picked up her first foul. LSU inbounded the ball under its basket and iFlau’jae Johnson hit a jumper.
UCLA was called for an offensive foul after a screen by the Bruins, then LSU picked up a foul at the other end.
Rice missed a three pointer and the Bruins missed a layup off the offense rebound.
Mikaylah Williams hit a mid-range jumper and Gabriela Jaquez missed a three.
UCLA got a stop and finally got a three pointer from Londynn Jones. LSU could not get a shot up before time expired.
Kiki Rice scores back-to-back buckets to trim LSU lead
LSU 26, UCLA 24, 3:31 left in the second quarter
Kiki Rice was called for a carry on the perimeter after the UCLA timeout intended to settle the team.
Mikaylah Williams then hit a jumper for LSU.
Gabriela Jaquez drove to the basket and was fouled. She hit two free throws to trim LSU’s lead to five.
UCLA’s defense forced LSU’s fifth turnover.
UCLA missed another three pointer, but got the offensive rebound. UCLA eventually put up another three pointer and missed.
Flau’jae Johnson was fouled and hit one of two free throws.
The Bruins’ three-point woes continued, but the Bruins got a stop and Kiki Rice was able to hit a layup. After another stop, Rice put up a transition bucket that seemingly touched all of the rim and finally fell.
LSU stretches its lead to five
LSU 23, UCLA 18, 6:51 left in the second quarter
ESPN reported Aneesah Morrow said she was fine after the hard collision with Lauren Betts and there was no additional issue.
Aalyah Del Rosario missed a jumper and was fouled, hitting two free throws.
After an LSU steal, Angel Reese score inside.
The following possession, Lauren Betts was fouled inside. She missed both free throws.
UCLA forced a turnover and Rice, who is back in the lineup with two fouls, missed a long jumper.
The Bruins managed to get another stop, but turned the ball over on the next play. LSU pushed the ball up court and Flau’jae Johnson hit a layup.
The poor stretch prompted UCLA coach Cori Close to call timeout.
UCLA gets its first three pointer, but Bruins pick up another foul
UCLA 18, LSU 17, 8:32 left in second quarter
Angel Reese stole the ball and scored an early second quarter layup.
Gabriela Jaquez then hit the Bruins’ first three pointer with 9:10 left in the second quarter, giving the team a lift and confidence boost.
Aneesah Morrow missed a layup and Lauren Betts fought for the ball, colliding hard with Morrow. Morrow was shaken up, Betts was called for a foul and officials took time to review the play.
UCLA tied with LSU despite foul trouble and errant outside shots
UCLA 15, LSU 15, end of first quarter
Coming out a timeout, Flau’jae Johnson grabbed a defensive rebound and immediately pushed the ball up court, getting fouled while putting up a shot. She then hit both free throws.
Gabriela Jaquez has struggled a bit, missing her first few shots.
Londynn Jones stole the ball and pushed the ball up for a layup. After a quick Angel Reese jumper, Jones missed a three pointer.
Aneesah Morrowdrove and scored, extending the lead to 14-9, but Jaquez finally got a bucket to fall to keep the margin tighter.
After both teams missed buckets, UCLA got another chance to trim the lead. The Bruins, however, are 0 for 7 from three-point range.
Charisma Osborne picked up her second foul going for a rebound following an errant three pointer and went to the bench.
Jaquez then heated up after a stop, scoring a layup. After UCLA forced a turnover, Jaquez put on a nifty step-through move to score another layup and extend a 6-0 run.
Hailey Van Lith hit one of two free throws to break up the UCLA run and tie the game at 15.
Kiki Rice missed a long jumper, Lauren Betts got the rebound and kicked it out to Rice, who drove and was called for a charge. It was her second foul, an emerging issue for the Bruins.
Play stopped soon afterward as Reese was treated for a bloody nose she picked up while contesting Betts’ rebound.
Reese tried to post up Betts, but she missed a contested shot inside and UCLA rebounded. Jones put up a jumper with 6.7 seconds left and missed everything. LSU put up the last shot of the first quarter and missed.
Two LSU three pointers give Tigers a lead
LSU 8, UCLA 7, 4:53 left in first
UCLA’s defense has limited LSU’s transition buckets and the Tigers aren’t happy with some tight early calls that have gone against them.
LSU forced two early turnovers and initially frustrated Lauren Betts, with Angel Reese guarding her squarely inside and Hailey Van Lith causing a jump ball with the Tigers gaining possession.
The Tigers hit a quick jumper to tie the game at 2-2 and the Bruins pushed the ball back inside to Betts, who scored and was fouled by Reese.
The next time the ball moved inside to Betts, she kicked it out to Gabriela Jaquez, who missed a three pointer. UCLA again went back to Betts and she was able to score inside. It’s clear the Bruins want to feature her early in this game.
On the LSU side, Flau’jae Johnson hit a pair of three pointers to keep pace with UCLA’s early buckets inside.
UCLA scores first
UCLA 2, LSU 0, 8:16 left in first quarter
The Bruins are off to a quick start, scoring inside and then picking up three consecutive defensive stops.
Much-discussed Kim Mulkey profile published
LSU coach Kim Mulkey turned heads by lashing out at the Washington Post over an upcoming article, threatening to sue the newspaper.
The Post published the article Saturday. It’s a wide-ranging look at Mulkey’s childhood, playing career and life as a coach. It features interviews with a mix of family members, former players and coaches, offering what could be viewed as positive and negative examples of the coach’s approach to basketball and life.
Prattle of sexes: How trash-talking men helped UCLA women reach the Sweet 16
If things start to go sideways against Louisiana State and flamboyant star Angel Reese, UCLA can always go back to the mantra that has carried it through difficult moments.
They don’t have a Jonny. They don’t have an O2. We’ve got this.
Jonny is Jonny Garnett, a 6-foot-4 super freak of an athlete who can touch the top of the rectangle on the backboard above the rim.
“O2” is Oscar Dela Cruz, a speck of a point guard who irritates with quickness and shooting.
Which team has won the most NCAA women’s basketball tournament titles?
The NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament has taken place 41 times before this year’s event, which ends April 7 in Cleveland.
Nearly half of those championships have been claimed by one of two teams. Connecticut has won it all 11 times, all under current coach Geno Auriemma but none since 2016. Tennessee has eight titles, all under late coach Pat Summitt and none since 2008.
Both teams have a shot at adding to their totals this year. Auriemma’s Huskies are seeded third in the Portland 3 Region. The Volunteers, led by fifth-year coach Kellie Harper, are seeded sixth in the Portland 4 Region.
Kiki Rice’s scoring flurry rallies UCLA past Creighton and into the Sweet 16
Kiki Rice held the ball in the final moments before joining her teammates in a joyous mob just inside the three-point line, everyone hopping in celebration.
Cori Close walked around the Pauley Pavilion court and pointed toward the crowd with both fingers, repeatedly saying, “Thank you!”
For UCLA, this was especially sweet.
Once trailing Creighton by 10 points in the third quarter and seemingly out of answers Monday evening, the second-seeded Bruins teetered on the edge of an uncomfortably early exit from the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Having more talent, a height advantage and playing on its home court didn’t mean anything against a team that got the shots it wanted and made a healthy percentage in building that big lead.
UCLA vs. LSU is America’s sweethearts vs. its basketball villains
ALBANY, N.Y. — This isn’t just a basketball game, it’s a reckoning. Picking sides goes well beyond school allegiance.
Do you prefer America’s sweethearts or its dirty debutantes? Milk and cookies or Louisiana hot sauce?
The team that wants to grow women’s basketball or the one seemingly hellbent on dividing it?
The coach who embraces reporters or the one who attacks them?
The tender star player or the one who taunts?
When UCLA plays defending national champion Louisiana State on Saturday at MVP Arena in the Sweet 16 of the Albany 2 Regional, the contrasts don’t stop with blue and purple.
With USC and UCLA leading the way, women’s tourney slam dunks on the men
The brackets for the two 2024 NCAA basketball tournaments have been announced and already there is one shining moment.
It belongs to the women.
For the first time, their tournament is more compelling than the men’s.
Caitlin Clark. Angel Reese. JuJu Watkins. LSU champs. South Carolina unbeatens. UConn traditions. Old grudges. New rivals. Human drama.
And some of it will be happening in the Southland’s backyard, literally, just call Galen Center or Pauley Pavilion, they’ll tell you.
While the USC and UCLA men had losing records that shut them out of the brackets, the USC and UCLA women are powerful enough to host first-round games and potent enough to propel themselves to the Final Four.
Kiki Rice is determined to make her NCAA title dreams with UCLA come true
Every day before practice, Kiki Rice wastes no time setting her intention. At the top of her note sheet as UCLA begins watching film, the sophomore point guard writes down her mission.
“We will play in the Final Four.”
Rice is trying to turn her dream into a reality as the No. 2-seeded Bruins begin NCAA tournament play this weekend. UCLA (25-6) will host tournament games for the second consecutive season, beginning with California Baptist on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion in the first round of the Albany 2 Region. The winner will face Creighton or Nevada Las Vegas in the second round Monday.
Averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists, the All-Pac-12 guard represents both the present and the future of UCLA’s championship hopes. Her top-ranked recruiting class, led by Rice and fellow McDonald’s All-American Gabriela Jaquez, is in only its second college season. They still are growing together as UCLA chases its first NCAA championship. But this roster, with guard Charisma Osborne returning for a fifth season, is UCLA’s best chance to win a title in coach Cori Close’s 13-year tenure.
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