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3 takeaways from Ohio State women's elimination vs UCLA in Big Ten semifinals
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- 3 takeaways from Ohio State women's elimination vs UCLA in Big Ten semifinals
INDIANAPOLIS - No. 5 seed Ohio State women's basketball had its run in the Big Ten Tournament end in the semifinals, falling to No. 1 UCLA 72-62 on March 7.
Here are three takeaways from the Buckeyes ' loss.
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Replay: Ohio State women's basketball eliminated from Big Ten Tournament by UCLA
Jaloni Cambridge missed on multiple key opportunities for Ohio State
Point guard Jaloni Cambridge has repeatedly stepped up in big moments for the Buckeyes , most recently scoring a game-solidifying layup with 16 seconds to go in the quarterfinals against No. 4 seed Minnesota.
Facing the Bruins , there was no such clutch performance.
Cambridge recorded just two points in the first half and finished with 12. She shot just 28.6% (4-for-14) from the field.
One of the Buckeyes' best chances to close the gap against UCLA was when they pulled within seven points, 69-62, with 1:24 remaining on the clock. It was a pair of free throws from Cambridge that put Ohio State in that position.
Ohio State guard Jaloni Cambridge (in front) battles UCLA forward Angela Dugalić for the ball.
The following possession, Ohio State forced center Lauren Betts into a missed turnaround jumper.
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Grabbing the rebound, Cambridge drove straight to the basket and put up a layup that was short from the left side. On a similar opportunity off an UCLA turnover 21 seconds later, Cambridge missed another layup.
Cambridge's four points in the fourth quarter were all from free throws.
Ohio State kept up with UCLA on the boards, but gave up the ball too often
The Buckeyes had been outrebounded in 13 of their 20 Big Ten games entering the semifinals, including their second-round win over Minnesota , but OSU finished an even 34-34 on the boards against UCLA, the best rebounding team in the conference.
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The Bruins averaged 42.5 rebounds this season, compared to Ohio State's 36.9 per game, and had just four other games in which they recorded 34 or fewer boards.
Betts, the Big Ten Player of the Year and Defender of the Year, reached her season-average of 8.6 rebounds with nine against Ohio State, while being held below her season-average of 17.1 points, recording 14 points.
UCLA guard Gianna Kneepkens rebounds the ball against Ohio State guard Kennedy Cambridge.
While the Buckeyes had success on the boards, in addition to forcing UCLA into 12 turnovers, sloppy gameplay kept Ohio State from capitalizing.
Ohio State finished with 15 turnovers, which UCLA converted into 13 points.
Ohio State never found a long enough run to overcome UCLA
The Buckeyes had multiple strong defensive stretches in which they'd hold the Bruins scoreless for at least three minutes.
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However, Ohio State never turned those stretches into significant offensive runs.
To end the first quarter, the Buckeyes went on a 7-0 run and cut their deficit to 14-10. Coming out of the break, UCLA hit back-to-back baskets within 90 seconds to extend the lead back to eight points.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 07: Jaloni Cambridge #22 of Ohio State brings the ball up the court against UCLA during the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament semifinals game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 07, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Buckeyes finished the game without scoring three consecutive baskets from the field, as UCLA always had an answer for Ohio State's offense.
More: Where does Ohio State women's basketball rank in latest March Madness bracketology?
Ohio State will now wait to learn its NCAA Tournament fate during Selection Sunday on March 15.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women's basketball vs UCLA in Big Ten semifinals: 3 takeaways
