UCLA dominates South Carolina women's basketball behind familiar strategy to Gamecocks

Ahead of a trip to Colonial Life Arena in 2022 to face the then-No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks, UCLA head coach Cori Close said South Carolina was the standard they wanted to reach.

Inside Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday, on the biggest stage of the NCAA Championship, they showed they reached it in a dismantling of the Gamecocks to lift the program’s first NCAA title.

To put it simply, the Bruins beat South Carolina at its own game. From opening tip to the final buzzer, they outsized and outmatched the Gamecocks.

“We just didn’t have it today. We tried, but we just didn’t have it today. They were the better team today. Congratulations to them,” head coach Dawn Staley said postgame. “Sometimes you’re part of women’s basketball history. It’s not favorable to you.”

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When it came to South Carolina, the loss started at the foul line. The Gamecocks committed more fouls than they made field goals in Sunday’s championship game. Additionally, they shot 15-55 from the field.

Staley felt her team had a lot of people taking shots early that did not normally. Additionally, she felt the team struggled to find the right person to take those shots.

“We had to make shots, create offense for our defense,” Staley said. “We had to be better defensively, actually pushing them off their spots.”

South Carolina also witnessed UCLA utilize the high-low to perfection throughout. A system of play that became synonymous with Dawn Staley’s offense and history of dominant forwards.

Lauren Betts, key scorer of the high-low, finished Sunday’s game with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Additionally, the six-foot-seven-inch forward shot 60 percent from the field.

“She’s a very dominant player. She’s pretty consistent and effective. I mean, that’s hard to scout. We just tried to limit her,” Tessa Johnson said postgame.

UCLA finished Sunday’s game with 40 points in the paint, just over half of their 79 points. Additionally, the Bruins put in 19 points off turnovers.

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In the end, after such a disastrous loss, the group is looking for the positives as they move to next season.

“This is not the ending we wanted. But we got here, no one thought we would,” Johnson said. “We did it. I’m very proud of the girls. I haven’t asked for a better team.”

Johnson said they expect South Carolina to be back on this stage a year from now.

“I mean, obviously, the look on our faces, we don’t like this feeling. The standard here is to get here,” Johnson said. “I mean, the girls in the locker room, the younger girls, they don’t like that feeling either. So I guess [it is] just motivation.”

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball!