texas vs ucla ended with UCLA beating Texas 51-44 to reach Sunday’s national championship game, while South Carolina ended UConn’s 54-game winning streak with a 62-48 Final Four victory in Phoenix.
South Carolina’s win depended on pressure defense that forced UConn into its lowest shooting percentage of the season, 31 percent, and its lowest point total, 48. The Gamecocks held the Huskies to 11-of-44 shooting on the 53 plays where Joyce Edwards was the final defender on Sarah Strong, and those plays included eight turnovers by UConn.
Ta'Niya Latson led South Carolina with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, and freshman Agot Makeer scored 14 points, continuing a tournament stretch with double-figure scoring in all five NCAA games. Edwards added 11 points and eight rebounds, and she set South Carolina’s single-season scoring record with 760 points, as reported by courtside coverage teams.
Despite a 37.5 percent shooting night for the Gamecocks, they offset the inefficiency with an 18-6 free throw advantage and a 47-32 edge on the glass. The game featured intense moments that culminated in a heated sideline exchange between coaches Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley, a confrontation Auriemma later partially explained by saying he waited for Dawn "for like 3 minutes" pregame to shake hands.
UCLA Advancement And Immediate Stakes
UCLA’s 51-44 win over Texas set up a championship pairing with South Carolina, with the title game scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The nightcap result gave UCLA the win needed to reach the national final but the game received less specific statistical detail in live coverage.
Reporters Andrea Adelson, Kareem Copeland, Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel provided courtside updates for both Final Four games. The coverage noted South Carolina’s defensive dominance and UCLA’s victory without elaborating further on individual Texas or UCLA box score details.
