UCLA Defeats Ohio State 72-62 Ending Lady Buckeyes’ Big Ten Tournament Dreams
UCLA defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Women’s Tournament on Saturday, March 7, by a score of 72-62. UCLA was the top seed in the women’s Big Ten Basketball Tournament, so this was a tough draw for the 5th-seeded Lady Buckeyes.
Chance Gray had 23 points to lead all scorers, but UCLA had five players reach double digits. The Bruins held Ohio State star Jaloni Cambridge to just 12 points in the game. With her scoring so little, the Lady Buckeyes had essentially no chance in the game. This is probably a formula for how to defeat the Buckeyes. Do you think they can win with her scoring so little?
UCLA Defeats Ohio State 72-62 Summary
Kiki Rice scored 17 points to lead the UCLA Bruins to a 72-62 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State was ranked No. 11. The Bruins had five scorers in double figures and held Ohio State Star Cambridge to just 12 points in the victory. It was the school-record 24th consecutive win for the Bruins.
The Bruins are 30-1 this season with the win, and the conference player of the year, Lauren Betts, and Angela Dugalic each scored 14 points for the Bruins. Gianna Kneepkens scored 13 points, and Gabriela Jaquez added 10 points.
The Bruins started quickly, but the Buckeyes battled back at the end of the first quarter to close the gap to 14-10 after one quarter. The Bruins increased their lead to 32-21 at halftime. The Buckeyes got as close as seven points in the third quarter but trailed 52-40 after the third quarter. Ohio State had a 22-20 advantage in the final quarter, but it did not matter.
UCLA Defeats Ohio State 72-62 Detailed Scoring Summary
In the first quarter, the Bruins opened scoring with the first eight points before Gray, who had 23 points, got Ohio State on the board with a three-pointer. The Bruins took an early 12-3 lead to prompt a Buckeyes timeout, so the game was largely decided up front. UCLA led the game 14-3, but Ohio State scored the 7 seven points of the quarter to trim the deficit to 14-10 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Bruins used a 10-0 run to stretch their lead to 30-14 with three minutes to play before halftime. The Buckeyes had the 7-2 advantage down the stretch to close the gap to 32-21 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the pace picked up in the second half as the teams alternated scoring until Ohio State scored four points to trim the UCLA lead to 45-38 with 4:15 remaining in the quarter. That was as close as Ohio State got in this game.
In the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes had the better of the play, but they did not have a great enough advantage. Ohio State was within eight, 57-49, with just under seven minutes remaining. Gray scored five unanswered points, and the Lady Buckeyes were behind 62-47 midway through the quarter. The Buckeyes continued to chip away, but never got much closer and lost this game 72-62.
Player Of the Game
The player of the game was Gray of Ohio State, who had 23 points in a losing effort. On the one hand, she had a great game. On the other hand, Cambridge scored only 12 points.
Turning Point of the Game
The turning point of this game was UCLA jumping out to a 12-3 lead in the first quarter. That caused Ohio State to take a timeout, and it is a similar advantage to the margin of victory for the Bruins.
Frequently Asked Questions
UCLA beat Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, 72-62. The Lady Buckeyes were eliminated from the Tournament. The Bruins went on to win the Tournament by defeating Iowa. In a losing effort, Gray was the player of the game. She led all scorers with 23 points in the game. The Bruins got out fast and probably won the game in the first quarter.
Parting Shots
Now, Ohio State awaits the decision of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. They were eliminated in this game, though they put up a good fight against a superior team.
