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No. 8 Ohio State falls to No. 1 UCLA following failed second-half comeback
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- No. 8 Ohio State falls to No. 1 UCLA following failed second-half comeback
Facing its most difficult opponent of the season, No. 8 Ohio State stumbled and fell 65-52 to No. 1 UCLA .
Lauren Betts , the Bruins a 6-foot-7 center, recorded 19 points and 14 rebounds, securing her double-double in the first half.
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In addition to struggling against Betts, Ohio State's shooting went cold – especially in the first half. Going 23.5% from the field before the break, Ohio State was down as many as 10 points in the first 20 minutes.
Feb 5, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes forward Ajae Petty (1) shoots over UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) during the first quarter at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Ohio State finished 20-for-68 (29.4%) from the field. The Bruins were 26-for-57 (45.6%).
"I thought we got enough good shots, especially in that first half, we just didn't make them," Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said. "And if you're going to win games at Pauley (Pavilion) against UCLA, who's a great team, you're going to have to make some shots."
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The Buckeyes were able to close the gap, tying the game 44-44 early in the fourth quarter, but failed to take advantage.
Jaloni Cambridge and Cotie McMahon , who had with 21 and 14 points respectively, led Ohio State's efforts.
The third quarter, when Ohio State got the better of UCLA 18-14, was the only one in which the Buckeyes outscored the Bruins, and McMahon and Cambridge accounted for all but two of those points. Cambridge even lost her shoe while driving up court for the final play of the quarter but found a way to send a pass to McMahon, who scored a buzzer-beating jumper.
"We didn't stop shooting," Cambridge said. "We didn't stop shooting and take us out of the game, but we kept our confidence up, even thought they weren't going in."
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Ohio State then fell back into its earlier pattern of rushed shots, finishing the fourth quarter shooting 28.6% from the field while UCLA capitalized with a 15-0 run that lasted over 5 minutes.
Feb 5, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Jaloni Cambridge (22) pushes the ball up court past UCLA Bruins guard Elina Aarnisalo (7) during the first quarter at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Shooting was a struggle for Ohio State nearly the entire game, but it was at its worst in the second quarter, when the Buckeyes shot 23.1%. That led to sloppy gameplay.
The Buckeyes recorded 6 of its 11 turnovers in the second quarter, and their defense also started to unravel.
In the first quarter, Ohio State centers Ajae Petty and Elsa Lemmila was able to contain Betts on the block, holding her to 3 points while recording a combined 3 steals on UCLA's attempted passes down low to Betts.
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Betts came alive in the second quarter, recording 10 of UCLA's 12 points.
Ohio State (20-2) stays in California until Saturday, facing No. 7 USC at 9 p.m. that night.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women's basketball loses vs UCLA, Bruins stay undefeated
