Ucla Beats Ohio State, Extends Win Streak To 24 And Reaches Big Ten Tournament Title Game

INDIANAPOLIS — The UCLA women’s hoops is 1 crippled distant from adding different milestone during its ascendant season.

For nan 2nd consecutive year, UCLA will compete for nan Big Ten tourney championship. Lauren Betts astir nabbed a double-double pinch 14 points and 9 rebounds successful a 72-62 win complete No. 5 seed Ohio State during a semifinal connected Saturday astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Kiki Rice besides tallied 17 points and 8 rebounds, conscionable awkward of her ain double-double.

It was UCLA’s 24th triumph successful a statement and kept nan Bruins undefeated successful convention play.

The Bruins (30-1, 20-0) jumped retired to a 12-3 lead successful nan first 4th connected 3 consecutive baskets from Rice. The Buckeyes trim nan lead to four, but UCLA forced 9 first-half turnovers and utilized them to turn their lead.

The Bruins led 32-21 astatine halftime and by arsenic overmuch arsenic 16 successful nan 2nd quarter.

Similar to Friday’s convention tourney triumph complete Washington, UCLA struggled to find consistency down nan three-point arc and changeable 1-for-9 from heavy successful nan first half.

The Buckeyes (26-7, 13-6), though, didn’t slice softly successful nan 4th framework arsenic Washington did. Ohio State stayed wrong azygous digits of UCLA until nan extremity of nan game, while nan Bruins’ discourtesy kept a cushion pinch 44.4% shooting.

Ohio State’s 62 points were nan 3rd fewest successful a crippled this season. Chance Gray led nan Buckeyes pinch 23 points.

In December, UCLA played 1 of its closest games of nan play astatine Ohio State, an 82-75 win. The Buckeyes are classed No. 11 successful nan Associated Press apical 25 canvass and are expected to big a first-round NCAA tourney game.

UCLA will look nan victor of Michigan versus Iowa successful Sunday’s Big Ten convention title game. Tipoff is astatine at 11:15 a.m. and nan crippled will aerial connected CBS.