Friday, March 29
Albany, NY
4:00 PM
UCLA
22-13
61
vs
69
Connecticut
34-2
1
2
3
4
F
UCLA
15
11
24
11
61
UConn
22
9
18
20
69
UCLA reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth season in a row and won 13 of its last 17 games.
Photo by: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Comeback Effort Falls Short for No. 6 UCLA to No. 2 UConn
March 29, 2019 | Women's Basketball
ALBANY, N.Y. – The No. 20 UCLA women's basketball team erased a 12-point deficit against the second-ranked Connecticut Huskies and ultimately took the lead in the third quarter, but the Bruins' comeback came up just short.
Sixth-seeded UCLA fell to second-seeded UConn, 69-61, on Friday in the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, capping a stellar campaign that watched the Bruins win 13 of their last 17 and reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year.
UConn (34-2), who trailed by one entering the fourth quarter, started the final frame on a 16-4 run to go up 11, and UCLA never recovered.
The Bruins finished the season 22-13 overall and bid farewell to three seniors in Kennedy Burke, Lajahna Drummer and Chrissy Baird.
Burke finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for UCLA, her second double-double of the NCAA Tournament. Junior Japreece Dean paced the Bruins with 16 points, while redshirt freshman Lindsey Corsaro was the third UCLA player in double figures with 11 points to go along with a career-high three blocks.
Sophomore Michaela Onyenwere tied a career high with 15 rebounds, the second time she's reached that feat In the Big Dance, and Drummer chipped in six points, six rebounds and two blocks.
The Storyline
Although UCLA took a 5-2 advantage, UConn's Napheesa Collier scored 10 of the Huskies' first 17 points to help anchor a 15-7 run. Despite pulling down eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter, UCLA was held to 6-for-22 shooting, helping the Huskies go up seven (22-15).
Freshman Ahlana Smith nailed a jumper on the baseline to snap a streak of seven straight misses for the Bruins to keep them within single digits (28-19), but the Huskies responded with a 3-pointer just 20 seconds later to stretch the deficit to 12 (31-19).
The Bruins turned up their defensive pressure and began to chip away, holding UConn without a point for the final 5:15 of the first half, and a 7-0 run pulled the Bruins to within five (31-26) at the break.
A trio of 3-pointers by UCLA to start the second half pulled the Bruins to within one (37-36) midway through the third frame. After a three by Drummer knotted the game at 39 apiece, Onyenwere finished a mid-range jumper to put the Bruins up two (41-39).
UCLA went on to go 5-for-8 from distance in the third quarter, helping it take a 50-49 advantage into the final stanza. But that's when the Huskies entered the fourth quarter on fire, using a 16-4 run to charge to a 65-54 lead.
Up Next
UCLA returns its top scorer in Onyenwere (18.3 PPG; 8.5 RPG), as well as Dean (14.1 PPG), who received another year of eligibility from the NCAA. Corsaro (7.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG) will also be back, along with several strong returners and a top-10 recruiting class.
Team Stats
UCLA
UConn
FG%
.313
.466
3FG%
.273
.267
FT%
.813
.647
RB
41
38
TO
10
13
STL
5
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
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