UCLA takes down Texas, advances to program's first national championship game

HomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsAFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersChampions LeagueHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsArsenalAtalantaAthletic ClubAtlético de MadridBarcelonaBayer LeverkusenBayern MunichBorussia DortmundCelticChelseaEintracht FrankfurtInternazionaleJuventusLiverpoolManchester CityNapoliNewcastle UnitedParis Saint-GermainRangersReal MadridTottenham HotspurVillarreal2026 Men's World CupHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsAlgeriaArgentinaAustraliaAustriaBelgiumBosnia-HerzegovinaBrazilCanadaCape VerdeColombiaCongo DRCroatiaCuracaoCzech RepublicEcuadorEgyptEnglandFranceGermanyGhanaHaitiIR IranIraqIvory CoastJapanJordanKosovoMexicoMoroccoNetherlandsNew ZealandNorwayPanamaParaguayPortugalQatarSaudi ArabiaScotlandSenegalSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTunisiaTurkeyUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanTennisHomeFormula 1HomePrime Tire newsletterScheduleFA CupCricketLa LigaHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsTeamsPodcastsCopa del ReyAlavésAthletic ClubAtlético de MadridBarcelonaCelta de VigoElcheEspanyolGetafeGironaLevanteMallorcaOsasunaRayo VallecanoReal BetisReal MadridReal OviedoReal SociedadSevillaValenciaVillarrealEuropa LeagueHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsAberdeenAston VillaCelta de VigoCelticHibernianNottingham ForestRangersReal BetisWomen's FootballHomeNWSL ScheduleFull Time NewsletterPodcastsOlympicsHomeWinter Paralympics Medal TableMedal TableGlobal SportsCyclingSailingSports BusinessHomeBoxingHomeGolfHomeSerie AHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsAtalantaInternazionaleJuventusMilanNapoliBundesligaHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsBayer LeverkusenBayern MunichBorussia DortmundEintracht FrankfurtRB LeipzigWolfsburgInternational FootballHomeTeamsPodcastsArgentinaAustraliaBelgiumBrazilCameroonCanadaCosta RicaCroatiaDenmarkEcuadorEnglandFranceGermanyGhanaIR IranJapanMexicoMoroccoNetherlandsNorthern IrelandPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of IrelandSaudi ArabiaScotlandSenegalSerbiaSouth KoreaSpainSwitzerlandTunisiaUruguayUnited StatesUSWNTWalesNFLHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyNFL OddsNFL PicksNFL DraftPodcastsScoop City NewsletterAFC EastBillsDolphinsJetsPatriotsAFC NorthBengalsBrownsRavensSteelersAFC SouthColtsJaguarsTexansTitansAFC WestBroncosChargersChiefsRaidersNFC EastCommandersCowboysEaglesGiantsNFC NorthBearsLionsPackersVikingsNFC SouthBuccaneersFalconsPanthersSaintsNFC West49ersCardinalsRamsSeahawksNBAHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksAtlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsMLBHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksAL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesWorld Baseball ClassicNHLHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksAtlanticBruinsCanadiensLightningMaple LeafsPanthersRed WingsSabresSenatorsMetropolitanBlue JacketsCapitalsDevilsFlyersHurricanesIslandersPenguinsRangersCentralAvalancheBlackhawksBluesJetsMammothPredatorsStarsWildPacificCanucksDucksFlamesGolden KnightsKingsKrakenOilersSharksMLSHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsAtlanta UnitedAustin FCClub de Foot MontréalCharlotte FCCrewUnitedDynamoEarthquakesFC CincinnatiFC DallasFireGalaxyInter Miami CFLAFCMNUFCNashville SCNYCFCCity SCRapidsRed BullsReal Salt LakeRevolutionSan Diego FCSounders FCSporting KCSt. Louis City SCTimbersToronto FCUnionWhitecaps FCTransfer NewsFPLHomeEPL HomePodcastsLeague CupChampionshipHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsBirmingham CityBlackburn RoversBristol CityCharlton AthleticCoventry CityDerby CountyHull CityIpswich TownLeicester CityMiddlesbroughMillwallNorwich CityPortsmouthPreston North EndQueens Park RangersSheffield UnitedSheffield WednesdaySouthamptonStoke CitySwansea CityWatfordWest Bromwich AlbionWrexhamLeague OneLeague Two Women's EurosHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsBracketNWSLHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsFull Time newsletterPodcastsCollege SportsNCAAFHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsNewsletterRecruitingOddsPicksAlabamaArizonaBYUGeorgiaGeorgia TechHoustonIndianaIowaJames MadisonMiami (FL)MichiganNorth TexasNotre DameOhio StateOklahomaOle MissOregonTexas A&MTexasTexas TechTulaneUSCUtahVanderbiltVirginiaNCAAMHomeBracketScores & ScheduleTeamsStandingsAlabamaArizonaArkansasDukeFloridaGonzagaHoustonIllinoisIowa StateKansasLouisvilleMiami (FL)Michigan StateMichiganNebraskaNorth CarolinaPurdueSaint Mary'sSt. John'sTennesseeTexas TechUConnVanderbiltVirginiaWisconsinPeakMMAHomeMotorsportsHomePodcastsNASCARCultureHomeMemorabilia & CollectiblesGamingHomeSports BettingHomeFantasy FootballOddsNFL PicksPremier League Hope-o-MeterA Crucial Moment for SlotWomen's UCLA's Lauren Betts (right) scored 16 points as the Bruins survived a defensive slugfest against fellow No. 1 seed Texas. Christian Petersen / Getty Images Share full article1PHOENIX — Cori Close said Thursday that her biggest regret of last year’s postseason was that she didn’t celebrate her UCLA team enough. The Bruins’ head coach will have a chance to remedy that Sunday in Phoenix. For the first time in program history, UCLA is on to the NCAA national championship game after the Bruins held on against fellow No. 1 seed Texas 51-44 on Friday night in a doozy at Mortgage Matchup Center. The Bruins will take on South Carolina, which upset UConn earlier in the night amid drama between head coaches Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley. The Bruins ultimately had the cushion they needed to get the job done in one of the ugliest games of both their season and the tournament, thanks to getting hot in the fourth quarter on a night when offense was difficult to come by for both teams. By the beginning of the fourth quarter, UCLA led just 31-28. But Close’s team rattled off a 7-0 run in the first two minutes of the final period, which ended up being just enough — especially after Texas made a 7-0 run of its own late to bring the game within 3 points with a little more than a minute to play. Star center Lauren Betts led the way with 16 points and had some help from guards Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens, who finished with 10 each. Texas star Madison Booker, meanwhile, scored just six points and shot 3 of 23 from the field on an uncharacteristically cold night for the Longhorns’ most dominant player. Texas as a whole shot just 31 percent from the field, though the Bruins weren’t much better with their 41-percent clip. The win on Friday comes after Texas beat UCLA in late November by 11 points and Betts had just eight points in the Las Vegas matchup. Perhaps more importantly? This victory is a year after the Bruins were blown out in the Final Four and left Tampa crushed after their best team in decades fell short of playing for the ultimate prize. Betts, the senior, was asked Thursday if there was any added pressure for this Bruins team, which is loaded with fellow seniors who know what’s on the line this weekend. “I think in the back of our heads, we all know that this is our last go at this,” she said. “It’s all or nothing for all of us.” The Bruins will need to have a more productive outing Sunday if they want to hang with a South Carolina team that beat UConn 62-48 but is averaging 86.5 points per game for the season. The Bruins and Gamecocks did not play this season, but did meet last year in the regular season, with UCLA winning by 15. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Grace Raynor is a staff writer for The Athletic covering recruiting and southeastern college football. A native of western North Carolina, she graduated from the University of North Carolina. Follow Grace on Twitter @gmraynor