UCLA vs South Carolina Match Stats: A Total Beatdown in the NCAA Women’s Championship
Let’s be real. Nobody saw this coming. Not like this. The UCLA vs South Carolina match stats, April 5, 2026, tell a story of total domination. The final score was UCLA 79, South Carolina 51. That is a 28-point hammer drop.
It wasn’t just a win. It was a statement.
The UCLA vs South Carolina final score in 2026 shocked a lot of people. South Carolina was the favorite. Vegas had them by 4.5 points. They had the history. They had the coach. But stats don’t lie.
The 2026 NCAA women’s championship stats, UCLA vs South Carolina, show a team that was ready to die on defense. The UCLA vs South Carolina box score, April 5, 2026, is a masterpiece of physical basketball. It felt like the Gamecocks were stuck in mud. The Bruins flew around the court.
It was Easter Sunday. Phoenix was packed. 15,856 fans watched a legend get born. And they watched the defending champs fall flat.
Let’s crack open the numbers. No fluff. Just the gritty truth about how the Bruins stole the trophy.
🏆 UCLA vs South Carolina · NCAA women’s championship · April 5, 2026
| Team | PTS | FG | FG% | 3PT | 3PT% | FT | FT% | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 UCLA Bruins (37-1) | 79 | 29-67 | 43.3% | 7-19 | 36.8% | 14-15 | 93.3% | 49 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| 🏀 South Carolina Gamecocks (36-4) | 51 | 18-62 | 29.0% | 2-15 | 13.3% | 13-17 | 76.5% | 37 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 3 |
| 🏀 Game notes & efficiency | — | Points in paint: UCLA 40 / SC 28 | 2nd chance pts: UCLA 25 / SC 12 | Fast break: UCLA 12 / SC 6 | Largest lead: UCLA 35 | Lead changes: 0 | ||||||
| 🌟 Top performers · UCLA vs South Carolina | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player (team) | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
| Gabriela Jaquez – UCLA | 34 | 21 | 8-14 | 2-4 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Lauren Betts – UCLA | 31 | 14 | 6-10 | 0-0 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Gianna Kneepkens – UCLA | 26 | 15 | 5-15 | 3-7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Kiki Rice – UCLA | 31 | 10 | 3-7 | 1-1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Charlisse Leger‑Walker – UCLA | 26 | 10 | 4-12 | 2-5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tessa Johnson – South Carolina | 30 | 14 | 6-12 | 0-2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Agot Makeer – South Carolina | 23 | 11 | 3-6 | 1-2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Joyce Edwards – South Carolina | 30 | 8 | 3-10 | 0-0 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Madina Okot – South Carolina | 14 | 6 | 3-9 | 0-2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
All numbers above reflect the final certified box score. No alterations. Data based on official gamebook from Mortgage Matchup Center.
• Source: UCLA Bruins official stat feed & NCAA live stats archive (Game ID: 401856590).
The Final Box Score: A Quick Look at the Damage
Before we dive into the dirty work, look at the headline numbers.
| Team | Score | FG% | 3PT% | Rebounds | Turnovers |
| UCLA Bruins | 79 | 43% | 30% | 49 | 8 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 29% | 13.3% | 33 | 12 |
UCLA vs South Carolina full game stats breakdown reveals a disaster for the Gamecocks. They shot under 30% from the field. They went 2-for-15 from deep. In a title game, that is game over. UCLA wasn’t just better. They were hungrier. Every loose ball went to the blue and gold.
First Quarter Shock: The Game Was Over Early
You usually can’t win a title in the first 10 minutes. But you can lose one.
South Carolina looked nervous. Their hands were shaky. The UCLA vs South Carolina quarter by quarter stats start with a brutal fact: South Carolina shot 3-for-18 in the first quarter.
3-for-18.
That is 16.6%. You don’t win a middle school game with that shooting.
UCLA jumped out to a 13-4 lead. Gabriela Jaquez was flying around. She tipped in a miss, got fouled, and screamed in celebration. The crowd felt it. The Gamecocks felt it.
South Carolina’s stars—Joyce Edwards and Ta’Niya Latson—were ghosts. They combined for zero points early. South Carolina’s shooting percentage vs UCLA was historically bad in that frame. The quarter ended 21-10. The mountain was already too high.
Halftime Score: 36-23 – A False Hope
Did South Carolina have a run in them? Maybe.
In the second quarter, they played better. They fought. They cut the lead a few times. The UCLA vs South Carolina game summary 2026 shows a 15-13 edge for UCLA in the second. So, the Gamecocks technically won the quarter by 2 points.
But that’s the trap.
UCLA had a 13-point lead at the break. South Carolina had only scored 23 points. In a half.
Here is a weird moment from the bench. Lauren Betts, the 6’7″ center, started coughing. She was hacking into a towel. The trainers rushed over. For a second, Bruins fans held their breath. It looked like a throat issue. Maybe a panic attack.
Betts sat for a few minutes. But the team didn’t crumble. They held the line. When she came back, the beast was unleashed.
South Carolina vs UCLA team stats comparison at halftime told the truth: Rebounds: UCLA 29, South Carolina 19. You can’t win if you can’t grab the ball.
The Third Quarter Massacre (25-9)
If you want to know why the UCLA vs South Carolina final score 2026 looks like a typo, watch the third quarter.
The Bruins came out of the locker room like caged animals. South Carolina scored only 9 points in the whole quarter.
9 points.
That is the lowest total ever in a third quarter of a women’s title game. It was ugly. It was raw. It was a clinic.
UCLA went on a 25-5 run. The lead ballooned to 35 points at one stage. The Gamecocks looked broken. Their body language was awful. Shoulders slumped. Heads down.
Dawn Staley sat down on the bench. She stopped pacing. There was nothing to coach. Her team got “smacked,” as the headlines later read.
UCLA vs South Carolina rebounds, turnovers stats went nuclear here. UCLA crashed the glass relentlessly. They turned defensive stops into easy layups. Betts was blocking shots. Jaquez was stealing passes. It was a perfect storm of power and skill.
The Numbers That Hurt: A Shooting Apocalypse
Let’s get nerdy with the NCAA championship game stats, women’s basketball 2026. These numbers are painful for Gamecocks fans.
- Field Goal Percentage: UCLA shot 43%. South Carolina shot 29%. That gap is a canyon.
- Three-Point Shooting: South Carolina went 2-for-15 (13.3%). You can’t beat a top team missing that many open looks.
- Points in the Paint: UCLA dominated here. They scored 40 points in the paint. South Carolina managed only 28. Betts and Jaquez lived in the lane.
- Second-Chance Points: UCLA 25, South Carolina 12. That is pure effort. The Bruins wanted the ball more.
UCLA vs South Carolina player stats on April 5 show one bright spot for the loser. Tessa Johnson scored 14 points. She was the only Gamecock who looked like she belonged.
Everyone else disappeared.
- Joyce Edwards: 8 points (3-10 shooting).
- Raven Johnson: 3 points (1-7 shooting).
- Ta’Niya Latson: 4 points (1-5 shooting).
That is a complete offensive meltdown.
Gabriela Jaquez Stats: The Undisputed MVP
Let’s talk about the queen of Phoenix. Gabriela Jaquez’s stats vs South Carolina 2026 are championship gold.
- Points: 21
- Rebounds: 10
- Assists: 5
- Shooting: 8-of-14 from the field
She was everywhere. Grabbing rebounds over bigger players. Dishing dimes. Hitting clutch jumpers.
Jaquez didn’t just play. She imposed her will. There was a play in the first half where she grabbed an offensive board, pump-faked, and scored through contact. She screamed. The bench exploded.
That energy is contagious. Lauren Betts’ championship stats 2026 also deserve a shout. She finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. She controlled the paint without even trying hard. Betts is a giant. But Jaquez was the heart.
Coach Cori Close finally got her ring in her 15th season. She built this team for this exact moment. UCLA Bruins championship performance stats show five starters in double figures. That is a balanced attack.
South Carolina’s Nightmare: What Went Wrong?
It is rare to see a Dawn Staley team look so lost. But it happened.
South Carolina came into the game averaging almost 86 points per game. They scored 51. South Carolina vs UCLA final stats 2026 highlight a lack of rhythm.
They rushed shots. They had no plan B.
South Carolina vs UCLA advanced metrics suggest the defense was actually fine for stretches. The problem was offense. Ugly offense. The Gamecocks were 1-of-13 from deep for most of the game.
Raven Johnson couldn’t find her shot. Madina Okot was invisible after two early fouls.
Here is a gritty detail: During a timeout in the third quarter, the camera showed Staley drawing a play. The players just stared at the floor. They weren’t listening. The belief was gone.
The NCAA final game player performance review for South Carolina gets an F. Only Tessa Johnson passed the test.
The Final Whistle: A Historic Beatdown
When the clock hit zero, the party started. The UCLA Bruins vs South Carolina Gamecocks stats officially went into the history books.
UCLA 79, South Carolina 51.
It is the third-largest margin of victory in women’s title game history.
The Bruins finished the season 37-1. They won 31 games in a row. That is ridiculous. That is dynasty talk.
The Mortgage Matchup Center erupted. Confetti fell. Jaquez hugged her brother, Jaime Jaquez Jr., who played in the NBA. He was crying in the stands. It was a family moment.
For South Carolina, the bus ride home was silent. They lost their second straight title game. Last year to UConn. This year to UCLA. It stings.
UCLA’s dominant win in the championship stats prove one thing: Defense wins titles. The Bruins held a powerhouse to 51 points. That doesn’t happen by accident.
UCLA vs South Carolina Highlights and Stats: The Takeaway
If you missed the game, you missed a massacre.
The UCLA vs South Carolina highlights and stats are simple. Bigger team. Tougher mindset. Better execution.
South Carolina couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. UCLA shot 43% and made 7 threes. But the real story was the glass. Rebounds: UCLA 49 vs South Carolina 37. That is a +12 advantage.
Turnovers were close. But UCLA’s 8 turnovers were clean. They didn’t beat themselves.
UCLA vs South Carolina final score 2026 will be remembered as the night the torch passed. UCLA is the new queen of women’s college basketball. South Carolina goes back to the drawing board.
The final score was UCLA 79, South Carolina 51. The Bruins won the NCAA women’s championship by 28 points, marking the third-largest margin of victory in title game history.
Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez led UCLA with 21 points. She also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 5 assists to earn a double-double in the title win.
South Carolina shot just 29% from the field (18-for-62) and a disastrous 13.3% from three-point range (2-for-15). It was their worst shooting performance of the entire season.
UCLA dominated the glass with 49 total rebounds, compared to just 33 for South Carolina. Lauren Betts led the team with 11 rebounds.
Yes. This was UCLA’s first NCAA women’s basketball championship. They previously won an AIAW title in 1978, but this is their first NCAA-era national title.
References:
- NCAA.com (April 5, 2026). UCLA captures 2026 DI women’s basketball championship with dominant win over South Carolina.
- Sporting News (April 5, 2026). South Carolina vs. UCLA box score: Full stats from the 2026 NCAA Women’s Championship game.
- Sports Illustrated (April 6, 2026). ‘We Got Smacked’: South Carolina Couldn’t Do Anything Right in the National Championship.
- Yahoo Sports (April 5, 2026). Inside South Carolina’s ugly numbers from the NCAA championship game loss to UCLA.
- UCLA Athletics (April 5, 2026). Women’s Basketball Captures 2026 NCAA Championship.
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