The South Carolina women’s basketball team has been defeated for the first time since March 31, 2023. The No. 1 Gamecocks fell Sunday in Los Angeles as Lauren Betts posted a double-double to lead No. 5 UCLA to a 77-62 triumph.
The Gamecocks (5-1) suffered their first defeat after 43 consecutive victories, dating back to the 77-73 loss to Iowa in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. South Carolina defeated Iowa last season for the national championship.
Betts finished with 11 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks to power the Bruins (5-0). UCLA also got 15 points from Londynn Jones on 5-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, 13 points from Elina Aarnisalo and 11 each from Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez.
It’s the first time UCLA has beaten South Carolina since 1981. The Bruins lost twice to the Gamecocks in the 2022-23 season, including in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Te-Hina Paopao had 18 points for South Carolina on 4-of-4 3-point shooting, while Tessa Johnson had 14 points.
UCLA won the rebounding battle 41-34, marking the second time this season the Gamecocks have been outrebounded. South Carolina also got outscored in the paint 26-18. It’s rare that a Dawn Staley-coached team — units that typically revolve around dominant centers from A’ja Wilson to Aaliyah Boston to Kamilla Cardoso — gets beat in the paint and on the glass, but with 6-foot-7 Betts, UCLA had the recipe to outmuscle the Gamecocks in those areas.
South Carolina never led after UCLA began the game with an 18-5 run, capped off by back-to-back 3-pointers from Jones. The Gamecocks cut the deficit to nine points in the second quarter, but the Bruins responded with a 17-5 run and entered halftime ahead by 21 points. Aarnisalo scored seven points during that run.
The Gamecocks never got within single digits of the lead in the second half.
It’s the first time in 21 tries that UCLA has beaten an AP-ranked No. 1 team. And it’s the first time South Carolina lost a true road game since 2021, a streak of 33 games.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for South Carolina. While UCLA faces UT Martin on Friday, the Gamecocks play No. 8 Iowa State on Thursday.
–Field Level Media
