Texas, UCLA feel the pain of being shut out at the Final Four

No. 1 seeds Texas and UCLA were both routed in Friday’s national semifinal games, falling to opponents in what had been anticipated to be close matchups.

Defending champion South Carolina, which has looked vulnerable at times throughout the season, dominated the Longhorns on both ends of the floor in the 74-57 win. The Gamecocks outshot their opponents, 51-39 percent, and opened the third quarter on a scoring run, for which Texas had no answer.

Rori Harmon said her team couldn’t recover from the lapse.

“We only scored nine points and they scored 20,” the senior guard said. “But we let their run accumulate. That’s kind of what we talked about not doing. So I think it was just a bad quarter. It was just one quarter that we couldn’t put together.”

The two Southeastern Conference opponents had played each other three times during the regular season already, with the Longhorns winning one to snap South Carolina’s home 57-win streak and take the regular season conference title. The Gamecocks took the final matchup to win the SEC title and punch the auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament.

South Carolina rode the strong performance of freshman reserve post Joyce Edwards, who had struggled throughout the NCAA Tournament, but put up 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Texas. Reserve Jordan Lee lead the effort for the Longhorns, with 17 points.

Vic Schaefer, who lead Texas back to the Final Four for the first time in 22 years, said he was wondering how his team could play “like they haven’t played in a while” in such a big-stakes matchup.

“We got off to such a great start offensively, and yet we got off to a miserable start defensively, in my mind,” he said, adding that his team didn’t make basic defensive switches.

“I’m over there beating my head against the wall, like, ‘where did I fail that we can’t get the most basic….switch?’ It’s just disappointing, but it’s (lack of) focus). We had some other really easy things that aren’t that hard for us that we’ve handled all year that we didn’t handle tonight. I wear that responsibility.”

Against No. 1 overall seed UCLA, No. 2 UConn forced a turnover on the first play, which Azzi Fudd converted into a bucket, and the Huskies never looked back, routing their opponents 85-51. They became the first team in tournament history to take out a top seed by 30 or more points.

Freshman Sarah Strong lead UConn with 22 points, while Fudd added 19 and Paige Bueckers, 16. Center Lauren Betts was the only Bruin to score in double figures, with 26 points. Two starters were held scoreless, while the shorter Huskies out-rebounded, out-shot and out-assisted their opponents.

UCLA guard Kiki Rice said the fact that UConn was able to force them into 19 turnovers, while committing just 7, was key in the loss.

“I think the turnovers is really what killed us in the first half, because (we) didn’t have shot attempts at the basket,” she said. “We’ve always talked about this year we need the ball to score. And when you have the ball and we take care of the ball, we’re a really good team.”

“It was difficult for us to get in rhythm, both offensively and defensively, when (we were) continuously turning the ball over. And they’re a great defensive team.”

It was a shocking end to a season in which the Bruins went a program-best 34-3, losing only to USC before Friday, and in which they spent 12 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. Their run to the Final Four was also a program first.

Betts said the responsibility for the loss lies with the players.

“I just think we need to show up more prepared and ready to win,” she said. “And that has nothing to do with the coaches. That’s everything to do with us. I hope this fuels us and I hope that we come out angry after this.”

Coach Cori Close credited the Huskies for their performance.

“They played really, really well. They’re a really good team. They earned that win,” she said. “And we could have given them a better game. We could have executed our game plan better. We could have played with better toughness and togetherness. We say it all the time: Most of the time the tougher, more together team wins. That wasn’t us.”

Earlier this winter, Close commented that for all the talent of her team, they could be more confident. That seemed to show up in the two regular-season meetings with the rival Trojans, who dominated them both times. But after the second loss, UCLA players met and collaborated to play better together.

That decision paid off a week later, when they faced USC a third time for the Big Ten Tournament title, and won. And the Bruins played solidly throughout the tournament – until they faced UConn.

Their only consolation is that they will not lose any players to graduation.

“It is) really unusual to be in this position at the Final Four and have zero seniors in your locker room, and to have an opportunity to come back stronger, more connected, learning from this experience and be better the next time,” Close said.

Rori Harmon and Vic Schaefer react during the fourth quarter of the national semifinal. Kirby Lee/Imagn Images

Schaefer has a different scenario, with four seniors graduating that he deeply cares about. Shay Holle has been with him all five years he’s been at Texas, while Harmon and Aaliyah Moore have been there four years and Taylor Jones, three.

“I’m very thankful for Shay and for Taylor, Rori, Aaliyah Moore,” he said. “I don’t know what it’s going to be like walking in a gym next year and Shay Holle ain’t in there. It might feel like death.”

“It’s a bittersweet day for all of us, but I’m awfully proud of this team. Again, I think everybody at University of Texas – especially me – we’re grateful for these young ladies and what they’ve done for our program and our university. They’ve all been so positive, and we’re better off for them.”

Schaefer, whose teams have played for the National Championship twice, when he was at Mississippi State, said he was going to “talk to God” about coming so close once again.

“But I choose to look at the blessing of being here, the blessing of being able to be with this group each and every day and coach them and be around them. And they impacted my life, too,” he said.

Similarly, Close vowed to work for a more successful Final Four return.

“We’ve got to learn from this,” she said. “We’ve obviously gone to new heights this year. But we’ve got to let the pain of this, hopefully, teach us to go to new heights next year and learn from this and be better the next time.”