By Cort Street | @cort_street
Sports Capital Journalism Program
INDIANAPOLIS – Two programs, separated by over 2,000 miles. Two basketball traditions, forged over the course of decades spent apart.
The Ohio State Buckeyes, a stalwart of a suddenly distant era of Big Ten basketball, a program intertwined with the very nature of midwestern sports. The UCLA Bruins, a vibrant representation of a new age of college sports, an exhibition of an imposing confidence that silenced all who attempted to challenge their new place among the Big Ten’s elite.
It was the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament that would provide a fitting backdrop for what would become a coronation of basketball’s new era. Londynn Jones led the Bruins with a season-high 22 points, Lauren Betts added 12 points and six rebounds, and No. 4 UCLA – conference newcomers just months ago – dominated No. 13 Ohio State 75-46 to set up an all-Los Angeles Big Ten Championship matchup against the USC Trojans.
“Really proud of our preparation,” said Bruins head coach Cori Close. “From the beginning of the year, we’ve talked about how success leaves clues, and for us, the way we prepare, there can be no shortcuts. We have to be the team that’s done all the little work to earn a few more inches, and I thought we did this in a very short turnaround.”
From the opening tip, UCLA’s dominance in the paint was on full display. The Bruins (29-2), who matched the 1980-1981 UCLA women’s basketball team for wins in a season with 29, outscored the Buckeyes 22-4 in the paint and outrebounded them 21-9 in the first half, a nod to the impact of Betts’ daunting presence inside. UCLA’s opportunistic defense capitalized on four first-quarter Buckeyes’ turnovers, and – combined with Ohio State’s 3-of-14 (21.4%) shooting – the Bruins were allowed to pull away with a comfortable 22-8 first-quarter lead, quickly silencing the crowd of 7,805 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that heavily favored the underdog Buckeyes (25-6).
“I think it’s just preparation,” said Jones. “I think we knew what we wanted and the goal that we wanted coming into it, so we knew what it would take. “We always talk about 1-0, but it really is 1-0 in the moment.”
Coming off a tightly contested 60-59 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the quarterfinals, the Buckeyes’ key contributors failed to maintain the same level of elite play just one day later. Cotie McMahon, one of just two Buckeyes’ returning starters from a year ago who has scored in double figures 24 times this season, finished with just six points on 3-of-11 shooting in the Buckeyes’ disappointing loss. Both McMahon and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jaloni Cambridge exited the game late in the second half with injuries and did not return.
“They looked more prepared from the start,” said Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff. “And if our team’s not ready to go from the start, that starts with me. We won yesterday because we fought to literally live by the second, and we didn’t have that today.”
The Bruins, who saw four players finish with double-digit points in a 29-point win that represented the third-largest margin of victory in Big Ten semifinal history, put the game completely out of reach with a 17-4 run to open the second half. The charge was led by Jones, who scored nine of her 22 points on the run and allowed stars Gabriella Jaquez and Betts to rest for a majority of the second half. A game after combining for 51 points and 22 rebounds in a closer-than-expected quarterfinal matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Betts, the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year, and Jaquez were thankful for a complete team performance against Ohio State.
“I think obviously, the way our team played today, it’s just an opportunity for other players to get their moment,” said Betts. “It’s not about me. It’s about what the team needs in that moment. Obviously going into tomorrow, I want to feel as rested as possible going into it.”
The Buckeyes, who finished with their lowest point total of the season, were making their fourth Big Ten tournament semifinal appearance in five tournaments but once again will return home without a trophy. After Ohio State dropped the regular season matchup 65-52 – a game that saw the Buckeyes tie the game in the fourth quarter before allowing UCLA to take over late – the one-sided defeat could be viewed as a major step back and cause for a loss of confidence heading into the NCAA Tournament. Senior forward Thierry, who led the Buckeyes with 10 points, believes her team has the ability to put the loss behind them quickly.
“Now it’s lose or go home,” said Thierry. “For some of us, it’s our last season, and we feel like we have to take advantage.”
The win sets up a third matchup of the season between the Bruins and the USC Trojans. Both of UCLA’s losses came at the hands of the Trojans, first in a 71-60 loss at USC in early February, then in an 80-67 loss at home in early March. Now, the Bruins will have a chance to avenge their regular season losses and build confidence for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
“A lot has to be different,” Betts said of the team’s game plan going into USC. “We obviously felt really badly about how we played them the last time and how we showed up, and we don’t ever want to feel that again. So I know we’re all going to change going into it.”
For Close, the rematch against USC is an opportunity she has been waiting for since their rival celebrated on the Pauley Pavilion floor less than a week ago.
“I think the deepest thing for me and my responsibility as a leader is to put our players in positions to be their best when their best is needed,” Close said. “I think the biggest thing is we lost the toughest battle, and that hits me the deepest.”
Close believes that by embracing adversity, the team can set themselves up for competitive greatness no matter comes their way.
“If you’re a real competitor, you want to be tested against the very best, and you want to have opportunities to conquer your previous adversities,” said Close. “And that’s exactly what we’re getting. I think it forces you to dig deep and find new levels of growth. We call that our edge.”
