UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) dribbles against South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP/Eric Thayer)
- UCLA's suffocating defense and balanced scoring led to a wire-to-wire victory over the top-ranked Gamecocks.
- South Carolina struggled offensively, trailing by double-digits at halftime for the first time in over two years.
- The Bruins outrebounded the Gamecocks 41-34 and held them well below their season scoring average of 80.2 points.
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LOS ANGELES — Londynn Jones scored 15 points, making all five of her 3-pointers, and fifth-ranked UCLA stunned No. 1 South Carolina 77-62 on Sunday, ending the Gamecocks’ overall 43-game winning streak and their run of 33 consecutive road victories.
The Gamecocks (5-1) lost for the first time since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat them in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals.
Te-Hina Paopao scored 18 points and Tessa Johnson scored 14 for the Gamecocks, whose road winning streak was third-longest in Division I history.
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Up Next for Both Teams
South Carolina travels to Florida to meet Iowa State in the Fort Myers Tipoff on Thanksgiving. UCLA travels to the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Hawaii to play UT Martin on Friday.
UCLA Makes History with Upset Victory
It was the first time UCLA took down a No. 1 team in school history, having been 0-20 in such games. The program’s previous best wins were over a couple of No. 2s — Oregon in 2019 and Stanford in 2008.
Elina Aarnisalo added 13 points as one of five Bruins in double figures.
UCLA (5-0) dominated from start to finish, with the Bruins’ suffocating defense preventing the Gamecocks from making any sustained scoring runs.
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Takeaways from the Upset
South Carolina: The Gamecocks trailed by double-digits at halftime for the first time since Dec. 21, 2021, against Stanford, according to ESPN. Chloe Kitts, who averages a team-leading 14 points, finished the game with 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting.
UCLA: The Bruins led 43-22 at halftime. Eight different players scored and contributed to 11-0 and 7-0 runs in the first and second quarters as they shot 52% from the field.
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Key Moments and Stats
The first quarter set the tone for a game in which the Gamecocks never led. They missed their first nine shots and were 4 of 18 from the floor in the quarter. UCLA ran off 11 straight points to take a 20-10 lead into the second quarter.
The Bruins dominated the boards, 41-34, and held the Gamecocks well under their scoring average of 80.2 points.
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