The UCLA Bruins have completed an historic season after beating the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51 to win their first-ever national championship at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. The most iconic building paid tribute to honor their first NCAA women’s title.
To celebrate UCLA’s historic accomplishment, the Empire State Building at 350 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, between 33rd and 34th Streets, shone in Bruins colors, blue and yellow, from 8 pm to 10 pm.
UCLA led throughout the game and not once did they trail. Their defense was elite as South Carolina shot only 29% from the field. The 28-point margin win was one of the largest in championship game history.
For UCLA, Gabriela Jaquez recorded a big game, scoring 21 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing five assists. Lauren Betts, who was named Most Outstanding Player, had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jaquez said after the win:
“I’m just so happy. I’m just so proud of this group. I mean, this is what we wanted to do. This was the plan, and we accomplished it. The mind is so powerful. We’ve been prepping for this since Sept. 25 — that was when our first practice was, and for a long time, we set out for this. And I’m just so, so proud. Wow. What a great way to end it.”
With the win, the Bruins capped off an incredible season, including a Big Ten regular-season title and a Big Ten Tournament win in the postseason.
UCLA HC Cori Close Hails Team After NCAA Win
UCLA head coach Cori Close shared what helped the team reach here. She credited the mindset within the team led by several seniors.
“All year we’ve been saying the talent is our floor, but our character will determine our ceiling,” she told ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “I’m just so confident in their character, and that’s what determined how they played today.”
“It’s immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine,” Close added. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams. But it’s meaningful because of the people I’ve gotten to share with. It’s all about the heart, and it would be shallow without an amazing village and incredible people that have poured into me my whole life.”
UCLA went 37-1 overall this season. They defeated South Carolina, which is a national powerhouse. Not only did the Bruins defeat them, but they did so with ease.
Read More News:
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