Cori Close Sounds Off After UCLA's First Loss

The No. 1-ranked UCLA women’s basketball team suffered its first loss of the season Thursday night, falling to No. 6-ranked USC, 71-60, at the Galen Center. In the 106th all-time meeting between the two programs and the first as Big Ten opponents, the Bruins’ undefeated streak came to an end in a fourth-quarter collapse that saw them outscored, 24-8.

UCLA Coach Cori Close did not mince words in her postgame comments, praising her team’s effort through the first three quarters but emphasizing the need to learn from their shortcomings in the final frame.

“I really loved our response in the first half to come back and then to really take control of the game in the third,” Close said. “And then we got out-toughed in the fourth quarter, and we gave up nine rebounds. We were down 9 in the second half of the fourth quarter. We were minus nine on the boards. We gave up five offensive rebounds, and we didn’t do things together when it got really hard.”

The Bruins entered the fourth quarter with a 52-47 lead after outscoring USC, 17-9, in the third, but they struggled to match the Trojans’ intensity down the stretch. UCLA’s defense, which had been stout for much of the game, faltered as sophomore guard JuJu Watkins and the Trojans found their rhythm.

Acknowledging that her team was beaten in crucial areas, Close stressed that the loss should serve as a lesson rather than a setback.

“Now it’s time for all of us — what these losses painfully teach us — is where we have lacks,” Close said," and where we got our butts beat. And no one likes to do that. And the reality is, we did. We got out-toughed in the fourth quarter, and we’re going to have to learn from that and respond.”

Close, however, made it clear that there was no time to dwell on the defeat, with No. 22 Michigan State looming on Sunday.

“There’s no time for us to swim laps in the pity pond,” Close said. “ ... I love this team, I believe in our team and I believe that we’ll let this loss teach our hearts.”

Close pointed to offensive execution as one of the biggest issues in the fourth quarter. The Bruins struggled to generate quality looks, allowing USC to take control.

“We wanted to get the ball inside, not just to Lauren [Betts], but also I thought Janiah Barker was giving us some good looks when she got touches in the low post,” Close said. “But they were bringing doubles even in the first half. ... We talked about that at halftime. But we needed to get them 'no-move-neededs.' And that means deeper seals, and that's a team thing. And we needed to get more quality shots as a team. And we didn’t do that in the fourth quarter.”

UCLA’s offensive stagnation played right into USC’s hands, as Watkins — who finished with 38 points — capitalized on defensive breakdowns.

“Bottom line is JuJu got really hot from 3,” Close said. “She made more 3s in the first half than she’s made in the last five games, I think. And credit to her. She got really hot, and we needed to make some adjustments.”

Close noted that the team had a solid defensive plan in place for Watkins, with junior guard Londynn Jones playing a critical role in slowing her down for stretches. However, the Bruins’ struggles on the boards and in transition defense allowed USC to capitalize in key moments.

Despite the disappointment, Close believes this loss will serve as a valuable experience for UCLA as they prepare for postseason play.

“When you just got your butt kicked in the fourth quarter against your crosstown rival, you want—bring it on. Give me the best you’ve got, because I want to step up into that space,” Close said. “That’s how you get ready for March. This is like a dress rehearsal for the Final Four.”

With a quick turnaround before Sunday’s matchup against Michigan State, UCLA will have little time to dwell on the loss. Instead, it must focus on the lessons learned from Thursday’s defeat and make the necessary adjustments.

“We got to learn to do that,” Close said. “When things don’t go our way, when we’re really fatigued, we choose our system anyway. And that is what I hope you’ll see in our response moving forward.”

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