INDIANAPOLIS — Cori Close doesn’t believe in the concept of survive and advance.
If her team is going to win the school’s first NCAA championship, the UCLA women’s basketball coach needs her players to thrive and advance.
That means the Bruins are playing at their highest level and attacking every game with an aggressive mindset.
One day after they failed to adopt that mentality, falling into a big early hole, they were looking a lot more like themselves on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Racing into an early double-digit lead with sticky defense, the top-seeded Bruins asserted their will. Their opening surge set the tone for a 72-62 victory over fifth-seeded Ohio State in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal.
Point guard Kiki Rice scored 17 points to lead five players in double figures for the Bruins (30-1), helping them notch their 24th consecutive victory.
UCLA was also strong defensively, logging 10 steals and six blocks while holding the Buckeyes (25-7) to 36.8% shooting.
What it means
UCLA can win a second consecutive conference tournament title after having previously won just one as members of the Pac-12, in 2006.
The Bruins also remain in the running for the No. 1 seed overall in the NCAA Tournament.
Turning point
Close’s mandate that her team come out as the tougher, more aggressive team clearly resonated with the Bruins.
After scoring only six points in the first quarter against Washington on Friday, UCLA bolted into a 14-3 lead. Ohio State was never able to recover.
MVP
With the Buckeyes making a run midway through the fourth quarter, UCLA reserve forward Angela Dugalic made huge back-to-back plays.
Dugalic blocked a 3-pointer by Ohio State’s Chance Gray and followed the play with a 3-pointer on the other end of the court to give the Bruins an 11-point lead.
It was another strong across-the-board showing for Dugalic, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal to once again show why she’s one of the nation’s top reserves.
Up next
The Bruins will face second-seeded Iowa or third-seeded Michigan in the championship game at 11:15 a.m. PDT on Sunday. The game will be televised by CBS.
