No. 5 UCLA upsets No. 1 South Carolina in blowout, makes program history

For the first time in 604 days, South Carolina has lost a game.

No. 5 UCLA won in a 77-62 outcome over No. 1 South Carolina this afternoon in a top-five matchup at Pauley Pavilion. That ended the 43-game winning streak for the Gamecocks that started last season. The 15-point win was also the first-ever one over a No. 1 ranked team in school history for the Bruins.

UCLA GETS THEIR FIRST WIN OVER A NO. 1 RANKED TEAM IN PROGRAM HISTORY @UCLAWBB x @UCLAAthletics pic.twitter.com/KibmA5LvXS

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 24, 2024

Following the win, Cori Close shared their regard for the Gamecocks and the pride in her program for doing what was needed to win today. Lauren Betts couldn’t have agreed more on what she and her teammates accomplished.

“First of all, they have set the standard. Such a respect for Dawn Staley and her whole entire staff and team,” said Close. “We really believed we would win. We always say it begins before it begins. You do the work mentally and we prepared really well and executed the heck out of the scouting report.”

“I’m so freakin’ proud of this team. We worked our butts off all week. The coaches put together a really good scout. I’m just so happy. I’m so proud of all of the work that we put in in this game,” said Betts. “Listen, if you’ve been sleeping on UCLA, you need to stop right now. We’re incredible. I’m so happy.”

UCLA (5-0) was all over South Carolina (5-1) from the very start. After a scoreless opening half or so of the first quarter, the Bruins were up 10 at the end of it before taking a 21-point lead into halftime. It’d never get much closer from there with the lead reaching as much as 23 today from Los Angeles.

The Bruins had five players finish in double-figures in scoring. That included Betts who posted a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds along with four assists and four blocks. Te-Hina Paopao then scored 18 to lead South Carolina while Tessa Johnson, who had 14, was the only other Gamecock to get to double figures.

Again, with this, South Carolina has lost their first game since losing to Iowa in the 2023 Final Four. Since then, they’d won 43 consecutive games with an undefeated, 38-0 finish as national champions last season along with a 5-0 start to this one before today.

UCLA further justified themselves as a top-five team with this win over an opponent that nobody else had beaten in over a year and a half. However, Close doesn’t want to make too much of it with her team with a lot of season still left to go.

“It is November,” said Close. “I think it’s really about the confidence that we earned, habits that we’re creating. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. It is November 24th.