LOS ANGELES -- No. 5 UCLA shocked the world with a 77-62 victory over No. 1 South Carolina at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday, snapping South Carolina's 43-game winning streak.
For the past three years, the South Carolina Gamecocks have been ruling the women’s college basketball world.
Heading into this game, South Carolina was 4-0 and ranked number one in the AP poll.
Most people thought the Gamecocks would continue their dominance, but UCLA made a statement.
In the first half, UCLA came out with a masterclass on both sides of the ball. The Bruins outscored the Gamecocks 53-22.
South Carolina fared better in the second half, but the deficit was too big for the Gamecocks to overcome.
UCLA held South Carolina to 62 points, which is the lowest point total they’ve had this season.
The low scoring output was in large part due to the Bruins defense clogging the paint and driving lanes.
South Carolina only had 18 points from the paint and shot 16-54 on two-point field goals.
South Carolina shot a measly 36.4% on all field goals.
The Bruins defense held three Gamecock starters to 20% or less on field goal attempts. Bree Hall and Raven Johnson were both 1-5 on shot attempts as Chloe Kitts was 1-7 from the floor.
In all five games, the Bruins have held every opponent to under 65 points.
While the defense was impressive in this game, the offense was efficient as well.
UCLA shot 47.6% on three pointers and 47.5% on total field goals. Elina Aarnisalo, Lauren Betts, and Londynn Jones all shot above 50% from the field.
Offensively this season, UCLA has been amongst the best in the NCAA. The Bruins have a top 20 offensive rating and are top 10 in assists throughout the entire nation.
A defense that holds opponents to low scores and an efficient offense creates a recipe that has made UCLA the best team in the country so far.
This South Carolina game is not the only dominant performance that UCLA has had this season. The Bruins have won all five of their games by 15 or more points.
UCLA has steamrolled every team they have played so far, which includes smothering the number one ranked team in the country.
There is no doubt that the Bruins deserve to be ranked at the top of the next AP poll.