How UCLA shut down South Carolina to win national championship game

How UCLA shut down South Carolina to win national championship game originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Both South Carolina and UCLA flexed their muscles on defense in their semifinal wins on Friday, which set the stage for a rock fight of a championship game on Sunday.

Only one team was up for the fight. The Bruins totally shut down the Gamecocks to capture their first national championship of the women's NCAA Tournament era, holding South Carolina to 45 points and just 32 through the first three quarters. UCLA led by as much as 35.

The win is a monumental career achievement for 15th-year coach Cori Close, who drew up a stellar gameplan on short notice and is now a first-time national champion. Here's a look at how UCLA shut down South Carolina to complete a title run. MORE: Why Lauren Betts briefly exited national championship game How UCLA shut down South Carolina South Carolina had numerous blowout wins this season, but two of the Gamecocks' three losses entering the NCAA Tournament came as the result of a serious offensive drought.

They overcame offensive struggles in a Final Four win over UConn, but those problems caught up to them on Sunday. UCLA played a physical brand of basketball on the defensive end from wire-to-wire in the title game, and the Bruins focused on South Carolina's stars. Tessa Johnson, the Gamecocks' fourth-leading scorer this season, led the team in shot attempts, and UCLA was more than comfortable with that.