Five Concerns Ucla Must Address Before Facing Texas In The Final Four

UCLA yet knows who it will look successful nan Final Four successful Phoenix this week.

A time aft taking down No. 3-seed Duke successful nan Elite Eight, nan Bruins learned connected Monday they will look chap No. 1-seed Texas connected Friday, nan only squad to hit them each season.

Texas (35-3) defeated UCLA 76-65 connected Nov. 26, erstwhile Rori Harmon put up a game-high 26 points connected nine-of-15 shooting from nan floor.

Since their Final Four debut ended pinch a 34-point nonaccomplishment to UConn past season, nan Bruins person been connected a ngo to beryllium themselves. They faced their first adversity of nan tourney during Sunday’s triumph complete Duke erstwhile they trailed astatine nan half, and now they’ll get a existent trial against nan Longhorns.

Here are 5 concerns UCLA needs to reside successful bid to scope nan NCAA nationalist title game.

UCLA halfway Lauren Betts holds nan shot successful nan overgarment nether unit from Duke’s Toby Fournier and Ashlon Jackson connected Sunday successful Sacramento.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Several players person cited playing a afloat 4 quarters arsenic nan biggest area UCLA must address.

The Bruins person had a bad 4th aliases half during each 4 of their NCAA tourney games. During their opener against California Baptist, nan Bruins led by conscionable 10 astatine nan half. UCLA lost nan 3rd 4th Oklahoma State, nan second 4th against Minnesota and nan first half half against Duke.

“We request to put 40 minutes together,” UCLA defender Kiki Rice said. “I deliberation we’re still continuing to get amended successful that… It’s not astir whether shots spell in. It’s astir really we’re consistently playing and connected nan protect end.”

UCLA guardant Angela Dugalic looks to walk astir Minnesota defender Mara Braun during a Sweet 16 crippled connected Friday successful Sacramento.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

UCLA has now survived 2 games erstwhile it didn’t sprout good from agelong range. The Bruins tin get distant pinch that erstwhile Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic are playing good successful nan paint, but nan deeper into nan tourney they go, nan much nan discourtesy will request to person aggregate dimensions.

“We effort to put ourselves successful situations each time successful believe wherever we’re facing adversity, wherever we’re being pushed to our edge, and that’s wherever you’re forced to turn and consciousness forced to make decisions,” UCLA defender Charlisse Leger-Walker said. “It shows you who you really are arsenic competitors, and I deliberation we’ve learned really [to adapt.]”

One of nan biggest strengths of UCLA’s starting lineup is how, connected paper, it tin people successful different ways. But nan Bruins person changeable 29% from three-point scope during 4 NCAA tourney games.

Overall, though, they’ve changeable 51.2% from nan field. The mostly of that scoring has travel successful nan paint, wherever UCLA has outscored each squad it has faced successful nan tournament.

Texas’ Madison Booker collides pinch UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez astatine Michelob ULTRA Arena connected Nov. 26 successful Las Vegas.

(Ian Maule / Getty Images)

A overmuch different Bruins squad mislaid to nan Longhorns successful November. Sienna Betts had yet to debut arsenic 1 of UCLA’s cardinal chair pieces and Lauren Betts was constricted pinch a near limb injury.

“I’ve learned a batch [about] nan poise we’ve had since [that game,]” UCLA defender Gianna Kneepkens said. “I consciousness for illustration successful these moments, for illustration being down astatine halftime, we conscionable stayed truthful dependable and consistent. And I deliberation that has to do pinch our experience.”

Madison Booker and Harmon shape 1 of nan toughest backcourts successful nan nation. Booker is simply a mismatch against anyone she faces, arsenic a 6-foot-1 guardant who tin sprout and play physically.

But nan Longhorns rank past successful nan federation successful three-point complaint astatine 18.8%. They tin deed three-pointers erstwhile they’re open, delivering a 34.5% shooting percent from scope — which is really successful nan apical 50 successful nan state — but they conscionable don’t sprout that many. Jordan Lee is nan only Texas subordinate who shoots much than 1 three-pointer per crippled and makes astatine slightest 33% of them astatine 35.9%.

Center Breya Cunningham shots 58.7% from nan floor, each coming successful nan paint. She will beryllium Lauren Betts’ toughest matchup of nan season.

UCLA halfway Lauren Betts tries to thrust nether unit from Texas’ Breya Cunningham astatine Michelob ULTRA Arena connected Nov. 26 successful Las Vegas.

(Ian Maule / Getty Images)

It ever starts connected nan defense for Texas coach Vic Schaefer. The Longhorns rank 14th successful nan federation pinch conscionable 56.3 points allowed per crippled while competing successful a convention that includes high-scoring teams Louisiana State and South Carolina.

Kyla Oldacre (6-6) and Cunningham (6-4) mightiness beryllium nan only duo successful nan federation who tin beryllium a matchup problem for nan Bruins, connected discourtesy and defense. Against Duke, nan Bruins struggled pinch Duke halfway Toby Fournier early, but she sewage successful foul problem successful nan 3rd 4th and UCLA eliminated that matchup issue.

“You’re going to request to withstand runs, and you’re gonna request to fig that benignant of worldly out,” Rice said. “I deliberation it said a batch to nan competitory maturity of this group that we did that [against Duke.]”

The Longhorns besides unit an mean of 22 turnovers per game.

UCLA guardant Gabriela Jaquez and Duke guardant Toby Fournier conflict for a loose shot during nan Elite Eight connected Sunday successful Sacramento.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

UCLA turned nan shot complete 18 times successful nan triumph complete Duke, tied for its astir successful a crippled this season. Just six of those came successful nan 2nd half and nan Bruins took amended attraction of nan shot while moving their discourtesy much efficiently, but sloppy play and vexation has flared up contempt nan Bruins’ seasoned leadership.

“Instead of focusing connected nan events, which are usually retired of your control, we person to look astatine nan response,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “It could beryllium a bad shot. It could beryllium a deficiency of rhythm. It could beryllium your nerves. Instead of focusing connected nan events, attraction connected nan response. We want to fortify our [response] to beryllium stronger than immoderate [event] we’re going to person to face. And I really deliberation nan first half is going to beryllium really valuable to america successful having america fortify our [response.]”

Texas isn’t going to present galore three-point blows, but nan Longhorns tin return nan shot distant and spot distant pinch fast-break points successful nan paint.

The Bruins will request to play nether a batch much power than they showed astatine times earlier successful nan NCAA tournament.