UCLA and Texas get Final Four rematch of Longhorns' early-season win
PHOENIX (AP) — UCLA's bid to play for a first NCAA championship came to a harsh end with a blowout loss to eventual national champion UConn in the women's Final Four . The Bruins are back, along with the rest of last year's Final Four teams , and hope to have better luck in the desert. Standing in the way is Texas, the only team to be the beat them in what was otherwise a dominating season.
“For us, it's just coming out ready to go,” UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez said on Thursday. “The main thing is being ready to play, coming out to get every loose ball, play as a team, just playing like we know how to play. ” The Bruins (35-1) spent most of the season pushing around opponents, winning by an average of 20.
9 points per game — fifth nationally — on their way to a school record for wins. The Longhorns (35-3) became the bully when the teams met Nov. 26 at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.
Texas' physical guards harried the Bruins into a string of turnovers to lead by 20 at halftime and staved off UCLA's late charge to win 76-65 . UCLA also had a hard time getting the ball to All-American center Lauren Betts, who had a season-low eight points on just eight shots. “Coming out with a certain level of aggression is important and I'm going to make sure I do that,” Betts said.
UCLA rebounded to beat Duke by 30 the next day, kicking off a school-record streak of 28 straight wins that included four double-digit wins in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns kept rolling, opening the season with 18 straight wins before consecutive setbacks at No. 5 LSU and No 4 South Carolina.