UCLA
26-4,14-4Pac-12
USC
17-14,8-10Pac-12
Bruins Beat USC, 73-66, to Advance to Pac-12 Semifinal
March 06, 2020 | Women's Basketball
LAS VEGAS, NEV. – No. 2 seed UCLA women's basketball knocked off No. 7 seed USC Friday evening, securing a 73-66 victory Friday evening at Mandalay Bay Events Center. The win advanced the Bruins (26-4) to their fifth-straight Pac-12 Tournament Semifinal.
UCLA junior Michaela Onyenwere led all players with 26 points and 15 rebounds for her 10th double-double and 13th 20+ point performance of the year, and Natalie Chou shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, to total 14 points off the bench. Also scoring in double-figures was Lindsay Corsaro, who totaled 11.
USC (17-14) was led by Endyia Rogers' 18 points and Kayla Overbeck's double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds. Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Alissa Pili was burdened by early foul trouble and held to just 11 points.
The Bruins started cold from the field, missing their first four shots, while the Trojans jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first three minutes. After the Trojans extended the margin to 11-0, Japreece Dean got UCLA on the board with an efficient corner jumper (5:20). USC continued their dominant start with five-straight points to make it 16-2. The Bruins responded with a quick 7-1 run capped by a three-point play from freshman Charisma Osborne, bringing the deficit back to 21-12. Rogers closed the frame with a driving lay-in to give the Trojans an 11-point lead after one.
UCLA got on the board first in the second quarter by way of a jumper from Lauryn Miller. Corsaro followed with a triple, and Chou added a three-point play, cutting the Trojan lead to 23-20. Chou knocked down a long ball to make it a one-point game before Onyenwere hit an easy bucket in the paint to give UCLA its first lead of the night (30-29). Rogers fired right back, knocking down USC's fifth triple of the half to make it 32-30 at the 4:28 mark. After a Corsaro long ball gave the lead back to UCLA, the teams exchanged baskets to end the half and UCLA went into the locker room with a 37-36 lead. Chou led the team with 12 points in the half on 4-for-4 shooting. The Bruins outscored USC 25-13 in the second quarter to erase an 11-point first quarter deficit.
USC took the opening lead of the third on a bucket inside from Pili. Corsaro and Onyenwere combined for a quick 5-0 run to make it 42-38 Bruins before Onyenwere recorded a big-time block at the other end (7:05). After an exchange of baskets, Overbeck rattled off six-straight points to tie the game at 46. The Trojans kept firing, as Aliyah Jeune (three-pointer) and Rogers (three-point play) combined for the next six points, putting USC up 52-46 to end the third quarter.
The Bruins came out fighting in the fourth, as Onyenwere hit a corner jumper and Osborne took a charge at the other end. A three-point play from Onyenwere at the 7:06 mark, but the Trojans answered right back with a lay-up from The Bruins then rattled off the next eight points to take a 69-60 lead, a run aided by a stifling press defense. USC was never able to get closer than five points.
UCLA will next face the winner of the Stanford-Oregon State quarterfinal game. The semifinal matchup will take place on Saturday at 8:30pm and will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.
