No. 2 seed UCLA women’s basketball dominated No. 3 seed Ohio State in a 75-46 victory Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, securing a spot in the Big Ten tournament championship against USC.
The Bruins (29-2, 16-2 Big Ten) never trailed, building a 14-point lead by the end of the first quarter and extending it to 23 at halftime. Junior guard Gabriela Jaquez led UCLA with 12 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting.
Ohio State (25-6, 13-5) struggled offensively, managing 46 points through thw whole game—well below its season average of 79.3 points per game. Star forward Cotie McMahon was held to six points on 3-for-11 shooting.
Junior guard Londynn Jones rebounded from a scoreless quarterfinal performance to score 22 points, hitting 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. UCLA shot 67% in the first half while limiting Ohio State to 30% shooting and forcing nine turnovers.
The Bruins, looking for their first Big Ten tournament title, will face USC on Sunday in their third meeting of the season. The Trojans handed UCLA its only two losses this year.
