UCLA women cap historic season with emphatic title game win over South Carolina

Big Ten Player of the Year Lauren Betts was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player and accounted for 14 points (6-of-10 FG) and 11 rebounds. Her 278 career points scored in the NCAA Tournament are the most in school history.

The Bruins only led by 13 at the break, but a 25-9 burst out of the half, and a 49-37 rebounding edge proved to be too much for South Carolina to overcome. Keep in mind, this was the same South Carolina team that just ended Connecticut's undefeated season in the Final Four and has three-time national champion Dawn Staley on the sidelines.

UCLA's success does not just stop with its senior group. After 15 years at UCLA, Cori Close is now the longest-tenured HC at a school before winning a national title.

The experience is something that is also playing out in the men's tournament with UConn and Michigan — two teams primarily made up of veteran players — advancing to Monday's national title game after wins over Illinois and Arizona, respectively, on Saturday.

The Huskies appeared to be on their way to another perfect season, while Staley looked ready to add another title to her impressive resume. The Bruins were not going to let that happen from the opening tip of Sunday's game.

In a time when star freshmen tend to steal the spotlight, UCLA's seniors proved to be a rare exception. They were simply sensational all season long and put the finishing touches on a historic campaign with a dominant title game performance against South Carolina.