South Carolina 32-61 UCLA, end of 3rd quarter

Edwards is fouled after an offensive rebound and a put-back that missed the mark. She hits both shots and that will do it for the third quarter where SC were outscored 25-9.

The jaw is on the floor over here folks.

South Carolina 30-61 UCLA, 0:26 3rd quarter

If you’re a Gamecocks fan, or Dawn Staley, you have to be spinning right now, down 29 points as the third quarter winds down.

Betts is at the line after being fouled and hits both shots as UCLA have DOUBLED UP SC. Can you believe that?

South Carolina 30-59 UCLA, 0:29 3rd quarter

Another SC turnover! Muse takes it away from Latson! Kneepkens for three, no good, but rebound UCLA.

Now Leger-Walker has it down low and she lays it in! It’s an 11-0 run for the Bruins!

South Carolina 30-55 UCLA, 1:50 3rd quarter

Tournabize misses a three, then Kneepkens comes back for the bruins and she’s able to hit from downtown!

It’s all UCLA! Wow! What a display from the Bruins, who remember, came in as 3.5 point dogs.

South Carolina 30-52 UCLA, 2:37 3rd quarter

Tournabize has a rebound for South Carolina, but then Rice strips her immediately and is fouled. SC are over the limit, so Rice shoots free-throws, hitting one of two.

SC looking dejected.

South Carolina 30-51 UCLA, 3:01 3rd quarter

No! because Jaquez, who has scored or assisted on 24 of UCLA’s 51 points, drains a three!

South Carolina 30-48 UCLA, 4:37 3rd quarter

Tessa Johsnon hits a 10 footer, then tie up a loose ball – Gamecocks ball. I ask again, is this a turning point?

South Carolina 28-48 UCLA, 4:37 3rd quarter

UCLA force SC into a five second violation under their own basket. Yikes.

South Carolina 26-48 UCLA, 5:41 3rd quarter

Maddy McDaniel is fouled and heads to the line, hitting just one of two free-throws.

Then a missed shot by UCLA and Jaquez gets in there and ties it up the rebound. Hustle play, possession to UCLA.

Then Betts catches an entry pass and lays it in. She’s dominating.

Now Betts blocks Latson! UCLA are on a fast break and Jaquez, who is everywhere, is able to finish with a layup!

This game has totally gotten away from Staley and South Carolina! Time out Gamecocks!

South Carolina 25-44 UCLA, 6:51 3rd quarter

Latson fouls Dugalic on a drive and she hits one of two free throws.

South Carolina 25-43 UCLA, 7:30 3rd quarter

Leger-Walker drains a three from the far corner! UCLA are up 18!

Highlights!

Here’s a re-cap of the first half of the 2026 women’s NCAA basketball championship game.

Stats

SC are shooting 26 percent, and are just 1-8 from three. And UCLA are out rebounding SC 29-17 while dominating the scoring in the paint. I think it’s fair to say that the Bruins are, maybe not dominating, but are on the precipice of that descriptor.

SC scored 106 points in their first game of the NCAA tournament and in this game they’ve score 23 points at the half.

South Carolina 23-36 UCLA, end of 2nd quarter

Johnson responds for SC with a mid-range jumper. Then SC get a defensive stop. Five seconds to play, Johsnon looks for a shot, fires, but it’s too late! The half is over and UCLA lead by 13. Who had that?

Betts is talking to ABC TV, she said she doesn’t know what happened with her throat. She mentions that it’s really dry out in Phoenix, which is true, because, you know, it’s a desert. Betts declares herself healthy then takes off for the break.

South Carolina 21-34 UCLA, 0:45 2nd quarter

Okot misses a jumper, then Kneepkens hits for UCLA. Good response following the timeout for UCLA.

South Carolina 21-34 UCLA, 1:21 2nd quarter

UCLA players spoke in the huddle about how to handle the SC press while trying to regroup and gather themselves. They’re still up 11, but their arrow is pointing down for the first time today.

Now they have the ball following the timeout. The shot clock is winding down, and Dugalic has to force a shot – no good.

Edwards comes back and misses a three for SC, then Rice has it for UCLA, the dribble drive and the layup for Kiki!

South Carolina 21-32 UCLA, 2:48 2nd quarter

Now SC force a 10-second violation, UCLA’s fifth turnover of the half. They’ve certainly cut down v their game against Texas in the semis where they had 23 turnovers.

But now UCLA turn it over again, thanks to furious SC pressure! Now Latson does hit her layup! UCLA call for time and here come the Gamecocks!

South Carolina 19-32 UCLA, 3:24 2nd quarter

Latson drives and has room but can’t finish! She was right there but could not convert the layup. UCLA are living right.

South Carolina 19-32 UCLA, 3:52 2nd quarter

Edwards is able to hit for SC, and then the Gamecocks cause a shot clock violation on defense. Is this a turning point?

Betts

She was on the bench sayi9ng “something is stuck in my throat”. She used an inhaler, came in, went back out, sat for several minutes, and now is back and looks OK, which is paramount for UCLA it goes without saying.

South Carolina 17-32 UCLA, 4:34 2nd quarter

Betts misses a turn-around jumper, followed by a Latson misfire on the other end: rebound UCLA.

Now Betts on the other end, she hits from 19 feet out!

Timeout on the floor, which is another term for a mandatory commercial break.

UCLA have been steadied by eight offensive rebounds, many of which have been put right back in the hoop; second chance points have been a factor in Phoenix.

South Carolina 17-30 UCLA, 5:49 2nd quarter

Ravens from mid-range from head on – big shot for SC as they try to steady the ship.

South Carolina 15-30 UCLA, 6:42 2nd quarter

Pretty shot from 10 feet out on the side by Kneepkens, then a missed shot by SC’s McDaniel and a rebound by Betts! All Bruins right now.

South Carolina 15-28 UCLA, 7:49 2nd quarter

UCLA keeps up the pressure on offense with a Jaquez layup.

Meanwhile, more good news for UCLA, Betts is back and on the floor.

South Carolina 15-26 UCLA, 8:26 2nd quarter

Johnson takes it to the hole, hits a layup and is fouled! That’s SC basketball! Johnson converts the free throw as the lead is cut to 11.

South Carolina 12-26 UCLA, 9:14 2nd quarter

Coach Staley tells ABC network in the US:

“I think we gotta play more inspired, We have to dictate a little bit more…it’s just really disciplined defense”

Play restarts, UCLA take the ball up. Jaquez feeds Dugalic who hits a layup extending UCLA’s lead.

Stats

The big numbers are SC shooting 3-13 in the first quarter, while dominates the paint, 12 points to four. And Betts has only played six minutes.

South Carolina 10-21 UCLA, end of 1st quarter

Duglic hits a layup for UCLA, then Rice hits a three to beat the buzzer! UCLA are up 11 as the first quarter comes to a close, and that’s with Betts on the bench!

It’s an 8-0 run to finish the frame by the Bruins. Wild!

South Carolina 10-16 UCLA, 1:04 1st quarter

Makeer fires from way downtown and it’s too strong. Rebound UCLA, Rice has it, she shoots and it’s off the front rim.

A lull in the scoring here as we approach one minute remaining in the first quarter.

Meanwhile Betts is on the sideline and struggling. We’re not sure what’s happening there. That’s a big development.

South Carolina 10-16 UCLA, 2:06 1st quarter

Madina Okot misses a shot for SC, but then UCLA turn it over, failing to build on their lead.

South Carolina 10-16 UCLA, 2:46 1st quarter

Now UCLA answer with a three from Leger Walker! The Bruins have the hot hands early on.

South Carolina 10-13 UCLA, 3:52 1st quarter

Rice misses a shot, and there’s signs SC are settling – like this three pointer from the freshman Makeer, who is already scoring off the bench!

South Carolina 6-13 UCLA, 4:54 1st quarter

Jaquez drives for UCLA and is bumped in the lane by Johnson. She’ll shoot two and hits two.

Betts sits early while the going is good, giving her a quick breather, early on.

Now SC comes back and Tessa Jonson drives and with an outstretched hand, hits a badly needed layup for the Gamecocks.

Timeout on the floor. It’s mostly UCLA early.

South Carolina 4-9 UCLA, 5:14 1st quarter

After Ta’Niya Latson hits a pair of free throws, Jaquez follows a miss with a rebound and a floater that falls, and she’s fouled!

She drains the free throw and UCLA is up five early while SC continue to misfire on the other end, a 1-9 start from the floor.

South Carolina 2-6 UCLA, 7:29 1st quarter

Charlisse Leger-Walker drains from 15 feet out. Then UCLA get a stop, come back down the floor, feed Betts down low and she hits, off the glass again! She’s shooting fish in a barrel. This is what the Bruins need to do to win.

National Anthem

It’s being sung by Kahara Hodges, an alum Arizona State. She’s done it before, most notably at the 2024 men’s Final Four. It’s a slower rendition. Serviceable, but not really my taste. Not that it was bad, but it did need a bit more pace. I’ll give it a 7/10.

Now the lineups are being announced, which means tip-off is imminent. Your patience shall be rewarded.

Stick with us!

How they got here

Here is how South Carolina beat UCONN.

And here’s highlights of of UCLA’s victory over Texas.

Agot Makeer

When it comes to South Carolina, there’s always generation next knocking on the door, and on this team it’s Agot Makeer. The freshman averaged roughly seven points a game during the regular season, and in this tournament, she’s putting up 15ppg. That’s formidable off the bench on a SC team that is noticeably deeper than UCLA.

She’s one to watch.

Can UCLA upset the Gamecocks?

Yes, they can. It will take a prolific performance from two-time All American center Lauren Betts, who plays her last game as a Bruin today. She’ll need to summon the type of performance she game in the second round v Oklahoma State where she poured in 35 points while providing her usual brand of suffocating defense and hard work on the boards. UCLA isn’t a one woman team of course, but as the LA Times wrote:

“UCLA is at its best when the offense runs through Betts, but not solely with passes into the low post. When she sets screens on the perimeter and rolls to the basket or passes from a variety of spots on the court, it overloads defenses and opens up potent offensive options for the Bruins.”

Even if that happens, it’s pretty scary that Staley’s Gamecocks, which are deeper on the bench than UCLA, held UCONN to just 48 points in their semifinal game. They’re led by forward Joyce Edwards, who averages nearly 20ppg, and Raven Johsnon, who averages over five assists per game and 10 points.

One last note: since the start of the tournament, UCLA’s point total has shrunk with every game, starting with 96 against CBU and then winning with just 51 points v Texas. And you can say the same about SC; as the competition got stiffer the point totals dropped, beginning with 103 v SOU in their first round, then beating UCONN with just 62.

South Carolina are favored by 3.5 points.

About last night

OK, it wasn’t last night, it was actually two nights ago when things got a bit testy between Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley, with a post-game altercation that, no question, took away from the actual coverage of the game itself. As it turns out, it was all about some silly handshaking, with Auriemma putting Staley on blast in the final moments of UCONN’s defeat for the SC coach allegedly not shaking his hand before the game. It was enough of an incident that referees and assistant coaches

After a relaxing nights sleep, Auriemma, admitted to throwing his toys out of the pram and apologized sincerely for the altercation and kind of ruining the night for everyone. Staley said she’d address the incident at a later date, choosing wisely to focus on winning the national title, which is sensible.

Anyway, in case you missed it, here’s the drama.

David will be here shortly. In the meantime, catch up on what happened in Friday night’s Final Four games.

South Carolina’s 62-48 victory over UConn in the first semi-final ended the Huskies’ 54-game winning streak. The Gamecocks’ defense silenced UConn’s All-American duo of Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd and exacted revenge for last year’s national championship game.

Much of the conversation about that game centered on the heated sideline exchange between UConn coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley in the final seconds. Auriemma, who had used one of his mid-game interviews with ESPN to deliver a fiery diatribe about officiating, skipped the post-game handshake after launching a tirade of words in Staley’s direction. He apologized on Saturday for his “uncalled for” behavior, which he said was sparked by a disagreement over the pre-game handshake. Staley said she would address the incident at a later point and wanted to keep her focus on the chase for a national title.

In the second semi-final, UCLA held off a late surge by Texas for a 51-44 win, securing a berth in the national championship game for the first time in program history. Star Bruins center Lauren Betts made a huge block on a layup attempt by fellow All-American Madison Booker in the final minutes to keep the Longhorns at bay.

UCLA are 34-1. South Carolina are 36-3. The teams have met five times, with