The UCLA Bruins women's basketball team earned a historic win on Friday night, defeating the Texas Longhorns 51-44 to advance to its first NCAA national championship game.
The semifinal was one of the lowest-scoring contests in Final Four history, with both teams combining for just 95 points — one of only three such games to fall below 100. UCLA (36-1) entered averaging 85.1 points per game but was out of sync on offense, committing 23 turnovers, the most in a Final Four game since 2008.
Lauren Betts led the Bruins with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting and added 11 rebounds for a double-double. She also came up with the game's biggest defensive moment, blocking Madison Booker's layup attempt with 20 seconds remaining to hold onto a three-point lead. Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens each contributed 10 points, while Kiki Rice made sure of the win with two free throws in the final seconds.
UCLA controlled the game early, holding Texas to just six first-quarter points, tied for the second-fewest in a Final Four quarter since 2016. The Bruins led 20-17 at halftime in a game in which both teams combined for only 37 first-half points, the second-lowest aggregate in Final Four history. The Longhorns shot just 25% in the first half and finished at 31% overall.
Madison Booker, Texas' leading scorer, was limited to six points on 3-of-23 shooting. The Longhorns (35-4) never found offensive rhythm, despite entering the game on a 12-game winning streak and ranking among the nation's most efficient offenses.
The game remained neck-and-neck through three quarters, with UCLA holding a 31-28 lead entering the fourth. A 7-0 run early in the final period, set off by a Rice three-pointer and a Jaquez layup, gave the Bruins a double-digit advantage. UCLA later built a 13-point lead before Texas responded with a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 47-44 with under a minute remaining.
The victory also served as redemption for the Bruins, whose only loss this season came against the Longhorns on Nov. 26, and who suffered an 85-51 Final Four defeat to the UConn Huskies last year.
With the win, UCLA advances to face South Carolina (36-3) on Sunday for the first time this season, which defeated UConn 62-48 earlier Friday.
