Top-seeded UCLA takes down Ohio State to advance to Big Ten Tournament championship

INDIANAPOLIS — UCLA, in its second year in the Big Ten Conference, will compete for the conference championship for the second straight season.

Top-seeded UCLA punched its ticket with a 72-62 victory over fifth-ranked Ohio State on Saturday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Bruins will face the winner of No. 2 Iowa or No. 3 Michigan in Sunday’s championship game.

advertise

Although UCLA led the entire game, Ohio State didn’t retreat quietly. The Bruins started off with a 12-3 run, and the Buckeyes used the rest of the first quarter to get within two points and get back in the game. However, Ohio State was unable to maintain momentum in the second quarter, shooting just 27 percent from the field in the first half compared to 44 percent for UCLA.

Ohio State kept the score within single digits for most of the second half, cutting the deficit to seven points with 48 seconds left, but it wasn’t enough.

Chance Gray was the catalyst for Ohio State, finishing with 23 points. Jaloni Cambridge has 12 and Elsa Lemmila has 10.

UCLA had a balanced offense with five players scoring in double figures: Kiki Rice with 17 points, Angela Dugalic and Lauren Betts with 14 points, Gianna Kneepkens with 13 points and Gabriela Jaquez with 10 points.

advertise

Chloe Peterson is IndyStar’s Indiana Fever reporter. Contact her at capeterson@gannett.com or follow her on X @chloepeterson67

This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Today’s Ohio State vs. UCLA women’s basketball scores, Big Ten tournament game