In Hollywood, blockbuster hits always get a sequel — even in women’s college basketball. UCLA versus USC I was an instant classic, fit for the silver screen, but the sequel was a box-office flop that left the Bruins awestruck.
Despite the same glitz and glamour as the original, the final scene was anything but a happy ending for No. 2 UCLA, which fell 80-67 to No. 4 USC on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion, cementing a Trojans sweep of the season series.
In short, it was brutal.
“I’m just really pissed off,” Bruins coach Cori Close said. “We didn’t show up and do our jobs.”
Close, her face flushed with anger, crumpled the box score in front of her and slammed her fist. Beside her, junior guard Gabriela Jaquez sat with reddened eyes, her voice breaking as she fielded questions.
UCLA faces “a very weird dichotomy,” Close said. The Bruins opened the season undefeated and finished with just two losses, yet all she could focus on was how angry she felt about their performance and response to the drubbing. “We let each other down today,” she said.
She pointed to Jaquez and point guard Kiki Rice, who also sat beside her, as the exceptions, praising their relentless effort. Jaquez made plays on both ends, while Rice led the team with 16 points, attacking the rim and repeatedly getting to the free-throw line.
USC guard JuJu Watkins blocks UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez’s shot Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
For Rice, the disappointment mirrored last year’s Sweet 16 loss to Louisiana State in the NCAA tournament.
“They were fighting their butts off, trying everything to bring everybody with them,” Close said. But she didn’t mince words about the rest of the team, demanding “more people that can be counted on to do their jobs — period.”
Close said her players were prepared and knew exactly what to do but failed to execute. She emphasized that she trusts their heart and work ethic but “something got in the way of us doing our job.”
“We are not attacking them as humans, we are committed to their best, and when they are operating less than their best, it is our job to get them to make a course correction,” Close said.
The game started as many have for UCLA — the Bruins were sluggish on offense and their opponent seized the early momentum.
Star center Lauren Betts, typically a steady presence, again struggled to score against USC’s defense. In what may have been her most frustrating game of the season — 11 points and 11 rebounds — she was whistled for three traveling violations in the paint and often let her frustration show as she pleaded with the officials for calls.
As if the first loss to USC hadn’t cost the Bruins enough — an undefeated season and the No. 1 ranking — a second defeat denied them a Big Ten title and a top seed in the conference tournament.
Close issued a familiar call to action, and with March upon them, the stakes are rising.
“This is the way this train is going, and if you don’t think you can make the changes to be on it, tell us now,” Close said. “The way we turn it around is by people making a commitment, a choice and being counted on.”
Close hopes a second straight loss to USC will serve as a humbling moment that forces her team to regroup before it’s too late.
“The pain of where you are has to be greater than the pain it will take to change,” Close said. “Do you want the pain of discipline or the pain of regret? Right now we’re dealing with the pain of regret — so what are you willing to do about it?”
The next 48 hours will be crucial for UCLA as it prepares for the Big Ten tournament.
Initially the Bruins planned to take two days off, but Close adjusted the schedule, giving her players a day to sit with the defeat, watch film and assess their next steps. Monday’s practice, she said, would be a chance “to figure out what needs to happen next.”
Both UCLA and USC secured double byes in the tournament, setting the stage for a potential championship showdown — a third act in their saga. It would be UCLA’s chance to correct the mistakes of its losses, and a matchup Close would “100%” welcome.
“If you’re a competitor, yes, bring it on,” Close said. “If we don’t, there’s something bigger wrong. If anyone in our locker room would answer differently, don’t come back.”
