UCLA draws Texas rematch in Final Four

If the UCLA women’s basketball team wants the opportunity to hoist the program’s first NCAA national championship, it will have to first avenge its only loss of the season.

The Bruins (35-1) will face Texas (35-3) in a battle of No. 1 seeds when the Final Four opens Friday at 6:30 p.m. from Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. UCLA’s season ended in the national semifinals last year.

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The Longhorns steamrolled second-seeded Michigan 77-41 in the Fort Worth 3 Regional final Monday night to reach the Final Four.

UCLA lost to Texas 76-65 in a late November contest in Las Vegas that included a 20-point halftime deficit and just one lead on the game’s opening basket. All-American guard Kiki Rice led a fourth-quarter Bruins charge that cut the deficit to four points on three occasions before running out of steam in the final 2 1/2 minutes.

Rice and guard Gianna Kneepkens had 17 points apiece in the loss, but All-American center Lauren Betts was limited to eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot. UCLA was just 4 of 13 on 3-point attempts and committed 20 turnovers.

The Longhorns put four scorers in double figures led by All-American honorable mention guard Rori Harmon, who had 26 points and five assists. Texas had 18 points off turnovers and 16 second-chance points.

Since then, UCLA has reeled off a program-record 29 consecutive victories including Sunday’s 70-58 win over third-seeded Duke in the Sacramento 2 Regional final.

All four No. 1 seeds are in the Final Four — and all were the last four standing last season. Top-seeded South Carolina pulled away late from third-seeded Texas Christian in the Sacramento 4 Regional final Monday to get its own rematch with Connecticut, the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, in the other Final Four matchup.

UConn eliminated UCLA before defeating South Carolina for the national championship last season.