UCLA Women's Basketball Falls Just Short at Pac-12 Tournament Against Oregon

The Bruins saw their March Madness hopes slashed after failing to score in the final four minutes against the Ducks.

(Photo Courtesy of Pac-12 Digital Newsroom)

The Bruins had hit 10 triples – their most in nearly three months.

One of those 3-pointers helped them take a lead late in the fourth quarter. Four of them came from guard Jaelynn Penn.

So with three seconds left on the clock, needing another 3-pointer to force overtime and extend the season at least another five minutes, the ball made its way to an open Penn on the perimeter.

Penn got off a clean look, only to have it clank off the back rim as the final buzzer sounded. The Indiana transfer, in what turned out to be the final game of her one and only year in blue and gold, bent over and hid her face in her jersey as her teammates embraced her.

UCLA women’s basketball (14-12, 8-8 Pac-12) left the court in defeat Thursday night, falling to Oregon (21-10, 11-6) by a score of 63-60 in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals. The loss marked an end to the Bruins’ pursuit of not only a conference title, but also their hopes of stealing an NCAA tournament bid.

Entering Thursday, UCLA was ranked No. 42 in the NET. With another loss in hand, the Bruins’ chance of sneaking in as a bubble team took a major hit.

UCLA actually looked like they were in control for portions of the decisive contest against Oregon, and a win would of moved them one step closer to making March Madness for the sixth-consecutive year.

There were six lead changes in the opening frame, the first of which came on an early 3-pointer by guard Charisma Osborne. Penn wound up scoring 10 points in a row all on her own later on in the first, and forward Angela Dugalic hit a shot against her former team to make it 17-16 Bruins heading into the second.

Even though neither side went up by more than three points, there were another six lead changes in that second quarter. Penn got another triple to go, as did guards Chantel Horvat and Natalie Chou.

Forward IImar’I Thomas hit a layup with three seconds left before the half, putting UCLA up 32-31 at the break.

The third quarter featured a change of pace, with the Bruins retaining their lead all the way through the period. Penn, Chou, Osborne and Thomas kept pouring it on, adding another three 3s between them, while the Ducks only scored consecutive baskets one time.

Oregon kept things close, though, never going down by more than five and heading into the final 10 minutes down by just three.

All it took was a 6-0 run over the span of 90 seconds and UCLA was facing a two-possession deficit. Dugalic and Thomas scored to tie the game up again, and right after the Ducks took another lead on a layup, Thomas came through with a 3-pointer to put the Bruins up by one with 4:19 left on the clock.

That was the last time UCLA scored.

Oregon didn’t hit a field goal from that point on either, but two trips to the free throw line in the final 90 seconds helped them go back ahead. The Bruins had several chances to steal back control, but three turnovers by Osborne sank their chances.

After fouling four times to eventually get the ball back, Penn’s final prayer went unanswered. She co-led her team with 18 points alongside Thomas, but no one else had more than six points, shooting a combined 25.7% from the field.

At this point, any of UCLA’s additional prayers will have to be answered on Selection Monday. For the Bruins to hear their names called on March 14, it might take a Hail Mary.

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