Sunday, March 5
Las Vegas, NV
2:00 PM
UCLA
25-9,11-7Pac-12
61
vs
65
Washington State
23-10,9-9Pac-12
1
2
3
4
F
Washington St.
14
18
12
21
65
UCLA
18
10
14
19
61
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
UCLA Falls to Washington State in Pac-12 Championship, 61-65
March 05, 2023 | Women's Basketball
LAS VEGAS – UCLA Women's Basketball battled Washington State to the wire but dropped the title matchup on Sunday, Mar. 5, inside the Michelob ULTRA Arena. The Cougars outlasted the Bruins as time expired in a tight fight for the Conference championship.
The Bruins are 1-1 all time in the conference championship game; UCLA last appeared versus No. 1 Stanford in 2006 and came away with a win, 85-76.
Emily Bessoir (11 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), Charisma Osborne (19 pts, 6-7 FT, 3 ast) and Kiki Rice (13 pts, 3 reb) were named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the matchup.
Bessoir and Osborne had five points apiece as the Bruins battled the Cougars ahead of the first media timeout. Osborne converted an and-one off a free-throw line jumper to tie it up before the in-game break.
Freshmen Rice and Jaquez got involved to put points on the board down the stretch; the Bruins led 18-14 after one.
The Cougars flipped the script and scored 18 points in the second quarter to UCLA's 10. The Bruins went on a two-minute, 19-second scoring draught to end the period, missing five-consecutive shots before the period closed. UCLA and Washington State were knotted up on the boards, grabbing 17 each in the first half. The Bruins trailed 28-32 at the break.
Rice found her groove in the third, scoring seven points on 3-of-5 shooting. The freshman knocked down a corner three to put the Bruins up four points just over three minutes into the third, and she would play all but one minute in the quarter.
The Bruins and Cougars went back and forth throughout the third, and Washington took a slight four-point advantage heading into the final frame.
Lina Sontag went to work early in the fourth, burying Bella Muraketete in the paint for a right-hand hook shot. Sontag came up with a steal on the next defensive possession. Gabriela Jaquez hit a pair of free throws after drawing a foul by Charlisse Leger-Walker to bring the Bruins within two with 6:30 on the clock. The Cougars kept attacking but Bruin seniors got to work late in the quarter.
Conti knocked down a triple from the left wing with 2:03 on the clock, then Osborne knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:22 on the clock. Bruins trailed 59-61.
UCLA had a chance to tie with 14 seconds on the clock; Osborne got a look from the left corner but couldn't find the rim, and Sontag got an offensive board before getting tied up by a number of Cougars. The Bruins fouled and Washington State hit one free throw, making it a two-possession game with less than 10 seconds left.
Rice attempted a three that didn't connect and the Cougars held on to the 2023 Pac-12 Women's Basketball title.
The Bruins are 1-1 all time in the conference championship game; UCLA last appeared versus No. 1 Stanford in 2006 and came away with a win, 85-76.
Emily Bessoir (11 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), Charisma Osborne (19 pts, 6-7 FT, 3 ast) and Kiki Rice (13 pts, 3 reb) were named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the matchup.
Bessoir and Osborne had five points apiece as the Bruins battled the Cougars ahead of the first media timeout. Osborne converted an and-one off a free-throw line jumper to tie it up before the in-game break.
AND-OOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEE ???
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 5, 2023
??: ESPN2#GoBruins | #Pac12WBB | @CharismaOsborne pic.twitter.com/jLMq51kTMg
Freshmen Rice and Jaquez got involved to put points on the board down the stretch; the Bruins led 18-14 after one.
The Cougars flipped the script and scored 18 points in the second quarter to UCLA's 10. The Bruins went on a two-minute, 19-second scoring draught to end the period, missing five-consecutive shots before the period closed. UCLA and Washington State were knotted up on the boards, grabbing 17 each in the first half. The Bruins trailed 28-32 at the break.
Rice found her groove in the third, scoring seven points on 3-of-5 shooting. The freshman knocked down a corner three to put the Bruins up four points just over three minutes into the third, and she would play all but one minute in the quarter.
Kiki for threethree! 3?
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 5, 2023
??: ESPN2#GoBruins | #Pac12WBB | @kiki_rice0 pic.twitter.com/WSjJIpNaxn
The Bruins and Cougars went back and forth throughout the third, and Washington took a slight four-point advantage heading into the final frame.
Lina Sontag went to work early in the fourth, burying Bella Muraketete in the paint for a right-hand hook shot. Sontag came up with a steal on the next defensive possession. Gabriela Jaquez hit a pair of free throws after drawing a foul by Charlisse Leger-Walker to bring the Bruins within two with 6:30 on the clock. The Cougars kept attacking but Bruin seniors got to work late in the quarter.
Conti knocked down a triple from the left wing with 2:03 on the clock, then Osborne knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:22 on the clock. Bruins trailed 59-61.
UCLA had a chance to tie with 14 seconds on the clock; Osborne got a look from the left corner but couldn't find the rim, and Sontag got an offensive board before getting tied up by a number of Cougars. The Bruins fouled and Washington State hit one free throw, making it a two-possession game with less than 10 seconds left.
Rice attempted a three that didn't connect and the Cougars held on to the 2023 Pac-12 Women's Basketball title.
Team Stats
WSU
UCLA
FG%
.537
.367
3FG%
.636
.263
FT%
.778
.857
RB
31
29
TO
14
8
STL
4
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
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