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04/05 16:48 CDT UCLA storms past South Carolina to claim its 1st NCAA women's basketball title UCLA storms past South Carolina to claim its 1st NCAA women's basketball title By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer PHOENIX (AP) --- Gabriela Jaquez scored 21 points, Lauren Betts added 16 and UCLA routed South Carolina 79-51 Sunday to win its first NCAA championship in women's basketball. The near-record lopsided victory completed the Bruins' journey through this year's March Madness that started following a loss to UConn in last season's Final Four. The Bruins ran through their opponents this season with their only loss coming in November, to Texas in a Thanksgiving tournament. UCLA (37-1) was led by Betts and her fellow seniors and graduate students, like Jaquez --- who played all four years with the Bruins. She also had 10 rebounds and five assists in front of her brother Jaime, who plays for the Miami Heat and flew in to attend the game to watch his alma mater win. The group that coach Cori Close put together through a combination of high school commitments and transfer portal players capped off their stellar careers with a championship. The title is UCLA's first since winning the 1978 AIAW championship, which was the postseason tournament for women's basketball before the NCAA took over in 1982. The championship game loss was the second straight for the Gamecocks, who won the title in 2024. Dawn Staley and her Gamecocks (36-4) will be favored to return to the game's biggest stage with a talented group of returnees, led by Joyce Edwards and Agot Makeer. ___ AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

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