UCLA Bruins celebrated a thrilling 72-67 victory over USC to become Big Ten tournament champions, their first title since 2006. The game showcased a remarkable comeback from a 13-point deficit, fueled by strong defensive adjustments against standout player JuJu Watkins. Lauren Betts emerged as a key player, earning the tournament's most outstanding player award with significant contributions in the closing moments. The victory was particularly sweet for UCLA after two losses to their rivals earlier in the season, letting them finally celebrate at midcourt among confetti and jubilation.
They stormed from the bench to mob one another at midcourt, streamers and confetti falling from the rafters. Finally, after so much had gone wrong against their rivals in two defeats during the regular season, the UCLA Bruins mustered the ultimate rebuttal.
The Bruins happily put on championship hats, tears flowing amid the smiles as they celebrated a come-from-behind 72-67 victory over USC in the title game Sunday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Once trailing by 13 points early in the third quarter, UCLA (30-2) put the clamps on JuJu Watkins after the Bruins stopped repeatedly fouling her.
Meanwhile, Lauren Betts made plenty of big plays in the final minutes, swatting a Watkins shot and powering through a double team for a layup that put UCLA up 66-60.
Collection
[
|
...
]