The highly anticipated matchup between UCLA and Ohio State — two of the nation’s top-10 women’s basketball teams — turned into a battle of who could generate offensive rhythm.

Ultimately, No. 1 UCLA came out on top as the Bruins turned a three-point lead into a 13-point rout, fending off a stingy No. 8 Ohio State to secure a 65-52 Big Ten victory at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA, which led at one point by 11, went into the fourth quarter clinging to a two-point lead. That was quickly erased by a three-pointer by the Buckeyes.

But a scoring onslaught carried the Bruins, led by Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez, who had eight and nine points in the quarter, respectively.

Up 48-45, UCLA would go on a 15-0 run, extending the lead to 63-45.

From the start, the Bruins struggled against Ohio State’s full-court press, which disrupted their offense often and made it difficult to advance up the court. The pressure forced UCLA into 14 first-half turnovers, including six steals for the Buckeyes.

The Bruins finished with 23 turnovers and only 19 assists.

Fortunately for UCLA, Lauren Betts carried the offense early. Betts ended the game with 19 points on eight-of-13 shooting and 14 rebounds, her 12th double-double of the season.

After a tight 18-16 first quarter, Betts found her rhythm in the second, scoring 10 points. She finished the half with 13 points and 10 rebounds despite Ohio State’s persistent double-teams and pressure in the paint.

A mix of Betts, Rice and Jaquez would lead UCLA in the fourth, as it remained a back-and-forth matchup, with the Bruins allowing Ohio State in the game despite the Buckeyes only shooting 29.4% from the field.

Betts had a team-high 18 points. Jaquez and Rice had 17 and 12 points, respectively.