lauren betts

LAS VEGAS — Rori Harmon scored 26 points and No. 4 Texas held on to beat No. 3 UCLA 76-65 on Wednesday in the Players Era Championship.

After building a 23-point lead late in the third quarter, the Longhorns staved off UCLA’s late surge to advance to Thursday’s championship game.

Texas (6-0) will face South Carolina in Thursday’s title game, while the Bruins (6-1) will play Duke for third place.

Madison Booker finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Longhorns. Jordan Lee had 13 points and Justice Carlton chipped in 10.

The Bruins trailed by just four after a 24-7 run, sparked by Kiki Rice’s 12 points. But three failed possessions — a missed three-pointer and two turnovers — allowed Texas to pull away.

Gianna Kneepkens and Rice led the Bruins, each with 17 points. Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 13 points on 50% shooting.

Texas was superior defensively in the first quarter, forcing seven UCLA turnovers and turning them into six points. Despite going 0 for 4 from the three-point line, the Longhorns were nine of 15 (47.4%) from inside the arc in the opening period to take a 10-point lead after one.

The Longhorns doubled their lead in the second quarter, outscoring UCLA by 10 again, to take a 45-25 lead into the locker room at halftime. Texas shot a blistering 51.4% in the first half, while UCLA stumbled to a 44.4% clip after 20 minutes.

UCLA survived a scare when Lauren Betts left the game early in the third quarter with what appeared to be an upper-body injury.

Betts, an AP preseason All-American selection, collided with Booker and writhed in pain on the court, grabbing her arm as trainers tended to her. Betts returned to the game after spending several minutes in the locker room.

LAS VEGAS — Gabriela Jaquez scored 17 points to lead six UCLA players in double figures, and the No. 3 Bruins dominated from the beginning to beat South Florida 94-61 on Saturday night in the WBCA Challenge.

Charlisse Leger-Walker added 16 points for the Bruins, including 12 in the first quarter.

Katie Davidson led South Florida (2-2) with 16 points, and Stefanie Ingram scored 13.

UCLA controlled the entire game and was especially effective inside in outscoring the Bulls 56-18 in the lane. The Bruins also made 61% of their shots.

They scored the game’s first 14 points and led 29-8 after the first quarter. Underscoring the total team dominance, usual standouts Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts combined for just two points. They later made their presence felt with Betts scoring 14 points and Rice 12.

UCLA is showing all signs of a team that looks primed to return to the Final Four for the second year a row. In addition to this victory, the Bruins beat two ranked teams this past week — No. 6 Oklahoma 73-59 and No. 11 North Carolina 78-60 — by double digits.

They will have a chance to build on their resume when the Bruins return to Las Vegas in two weeks to play in the Players Era in which three of the four teams are ranked in the top four.

South Florida is playing under interim coach Michele Woods-Baxter, though she is in her 18th season in the program. She stepped into that role when the WNBA’s Dallas Wings hired Jose Fernandez, the Bulls’ coach for 25 seasons, before South Florida’s season opened.

Up next for UCLA: hosts Southern on Nov. 23.

LAS VEGAS — All-American Lauren Betts had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 3 UCLA to a 78-60 victory over No. 11 North Carolina on Thursday night in the WBCA Challenge, the Bruins’ second win over a ranked team this week.

UCLA (4-0) also topped No. 6 Oklahoma 73-59 on Monday in Sacramento. Coming off the program’s first trip to the NCAA Final Four, the Bruins are making an early case as one of the favorites to get back there.

Betts also had seven assists. Teammate Kiki Rice overcame an 0-for-3 first half to finish with 15 points on six-for-12 shooting as well as 10 rebounds. Angela Dugalic added 14 points and Gabriela Jaquez had 12.

Elina Aarnisalo led North Carolina (2-1) with 13 points, and Indya Nivar and Ciera Toomey each scored 11. Nyla Harris, a transfer from Louisville, was held to six points on three-for-10 shooting. She scored a combined 25 points in the Tar Heels’ two victories.

The teams swapped scoring runs before UCLA took charge with a 10-point surge to end the third quarter for a 58-46 lead.

The Bruins dominated inside, winning the rebound battle 46-30 and outscoring the Tar Heels in the lane by a 46-22 margin. Four UCLA players had at least eight rebounds.

At least five WNBA teams were represented: the Sparks, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Toronto. Jackie Young, Dana Evans and Kiah Stokes, who helped the Aces win their third championship in four years, watched courtside.

Up next for UCLA: vs. South Florida in the WBCA Challenge on Saturday.