The AP Poll ranked UCLA women’s basketball as the top team in the country Monday morning.
Following a convincing 77-62 home victory over a then-No. 1 South Carolina team that hadn’t lost in 604 days, UCLA shot up from its No. 5 ranking and now sits atop the poll for the first time in program history.
The win marked the first time the Bruins have overcome a top-ranked opponent and simultaneously is the Gamecocks’ second loss in two years.
While their offense has been excellent – the Bruins currently sit 28th in the nation in points per game – UCLA boasts a ferocious defense, with no opponent thus far reaching its average point total and its two ranked opponents, South Carolina and Louisville, finishing over 15 points short of their average totals.
South Carolina’s 62-point showing was the least the team had scored since its 2023 Sweet 16 matchup against UCLA where it managed just 59.
“We knew that if we could force them into running half court offense, we’d have a really good chance,” said coach Cori Close. “That was really the key – us taking care of the ball and taking decent shots – so that we could set our defense and go from there.”
The Gamecocks failed to capitalize on the Bruins’ 17 turnovers – managing a single fast break point through Sunday’s affair.
“They score about 27% of their baskets in transition,” Close said. “So the best thing you can do is not have live ball turnovers. That made a huge difference, they never got in a rhythm in transition.”
By forcing South Carolina to play half-court offense, UCLA necessitated many difficult shots from its adversary – the Gamecocks shot 36% from the field, compared to its 45.3% average while attempting only 10 layups over the contest.
“We have a really good coaching staff,” said junior guard Londynn Jones. “They do a really good job of reminding us of the main thing and keeping the main thing as the main thing. That’s what helps us and separates us from the other teams.”
Junior center Lauren Betts proved to be a force in the paint, amassing four blocks through 37 minutes and was pivotal in limiting the Gamecocks to only 18 points in the paint.
On a team with excellent depth – eight different players logged at least 15 minutes with 44% of the points coming from the bench – UCLA’s defensive prowess is a testament to a team-wide effort. While Betts forced shots outside the key, her teammates were crucial in making those attempts “really hard shots,” according to Close.
“We have the mentality that we all want the same thing at the end of the day,” Betts said. “We all went into this game like, no matter what happens, we’re just gonna do what we have to do. We all just want to win.”
With a highly anticipated top-five showdown behind it, UCLA will head to Hawaii for the Rainbow Wahine Showdown. From Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, the Bruins will take on UT Martin (1-4), Fresno State (5-1) and Hawai’i (3-1), respectively.
UT Martin lost by 22 to Louisville on Nov. 12 – the same Cardinals team the Bruins defeated 66-59 on opening night. The Skyhawks went 16-17 last season – their season ending with a 72-45 defeat to Holy Cross in the First Four.
Meanwhile, Fresno State is yet to defeat a Division I opponent with a winning record this season. The Bulldogs went 15-18 last season – including a rough 7-11 run in Mountain West conference play.
And though Hawai’i boasts the best record of the three last season at 20-10, it was soundly defeated by UCLA last season as the Bruins routed the Rainbow Warriors 85-46.
With a new ranking and high aspirations, the Bruins have bigger goals for the future than merely downing the nation’s best.
“Head down, take each day, stay present and just keep getting better,” Betts said. “At the end of the day, you know what we want to do at the end of the season. We want to win a national championship.”
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