No. 4 UCLA finds new tough, aggressive approach delivers Big Ten title win over No. 2 USC

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Coach Cori Close challenged UCLA to arrive at the Big Ten Tournament as a tougher, more aggressive group than the one that lost to its dreaded rival, USC, last weekend.

The changes certainly worked in Sunday’s title game.

UCLA dug down and overcame major foul trouble, a huge rebounding disparity, two dozen turnovers, their star’s first-half struggles and, eventually, a 13-point deficit to beat No. 2 USC 72-67 for their first Big Ten tourney title.

“I’m kind of speechless right now,” All-American center Lauren Betts said after cutting down the nets in Indianapolis. “I think the work that was done in the dark last week showed today.”

Betts, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, didn’t need to elaborate on what happened behind the scenes because it was evident to anyone who saw the Bruins (30-2) dancing and jumping around in the confetti nine days after enduring a deflating and confounding 80-67 loss at home to allow the same Trojans to celebrate the regular-season title.

It took an unconventional approach after USC (28-3) won the two regular season games — UCLA from the No. 1 spot the first time and from the No. 2 spot the second time.

So Betts, guard Gabriela Jaquez, forward Angela Dugalic among others took a hard look at what was needed to make title runs — this week and again in April.

The answer was doing less individually and more collectively.

“Look, we lost the first two quarters,” Close said. “Every rebound got taken out of our hands, we didn’t get to the 50-50 balls, we didn’t win the toughness battle the first two quarters. I was curious to see what their eyes were like at halftime, and they were poised and determined and still believed they could turn it.”

So instead of blinking, the Bruins battled back after USC opened the second half with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 48-35.

The Trojans, who had won each of their previous nine games, only scored six more points in the third quarter and didn’t make a basket for a 13-minute stretch that consumed nearly the entire fourth.

Betts, who had only four points and two rebounds at halftime, made all five of her shots and all three of her free throws in the second half while scrambling for rebounds, grabbing loose balls and blocking shots. She finished with 17 points, five rebounds, four blocks and four steals — modest stats in a performance the Bruins desperately needed.

“I think it was just taking advantage of my matchup and, honestly, doing whatever the team needed me to do in that moment,” Betts said. “I was just trying my best to get deep seal and putting myself in position to score. I knew I wasn’t going to get calls, but I think it was like I had to keep being aggressive.”

Betts’ teammates took the cue. Londynn Jones, Kiki Rice and Jaquez continued playing fearlessly despite their deep foul trouble. And these Bruins refused to even get derailed by JuJu Watkins’ 29-point game.

The Bruins won despite losing the turnover battle 24-19, despite losing the rebounding battle 38-27 and despite getting beat 21-4 on the offensive glass. UCLA was simply too determined to let anything get in its way Sunday, just like Close envisioned.

“I was just praying this morning, I was like ‘I just want them to be the best version of themselves,’” Close said after watching her team cope with the fallout of those first two losses to USC. “That’s what I got to see today, them just finding a way to win in unpredictable ways.”

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By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer