Graduate student guard Camryn Brown raised both arms and twirled, mimicking a pirouette from the sideline.

Sophomore guard Kiki Rice had just driven the lane, spinning against her defender and laying the ball in the net for the finish.

In a display of grit and effort to pair with Rice’s flair, No. 2 UCLA women’s basketball (10-0) defeated No. 13 Ohio State (9-2) by a score of 77-71 to continue its unblemished campaign. The Bruins overcame a late scare in Columbus, Ohio, behind the Buckeyes’ 26-point fourth quarter to secure its fifth road win in four weeks.

Rice’s basket marked the fourth make for the Bruins in a 6-for-6 stretch as they extended their lead to 62-42. Behind graduate student guard Charisma Osborne’s second 3-pointer of the night – earning her the No. 3 spot all-time on UCLA’s made 3-pointer list – and a layup in transition via sophomore forward Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA earned a 22-point lead to open the fourth quarter.

Just as UCLA appeared en route to seal the game, Ohio State emerged on a 13-2 run to bring the score to 69-59. Coach Cori Close was forced to call a timeout as the Buckeyes’ fanbase rose to its feet. 

Osborne then squared her feet behind the top of the arc, and her dagger from deep kept the Bruins’ lead comfortable until a flurry of turnovers led to Buckeye baskets.

With one minute to play, Ohio State converted on three straight possessions.

The Buckeyes were within six points, but the Bruins remained steady amid the chaos and extinguished their opponent’s hopes of a comeback.

Ohio State jumped out to a quick start to open the game, denying both of sophomore center Lauren Betts’ attempts inside while converting off of a UCLA in-bound turnover for a layup to stretch the lead to 7-0. The possession forced Close to call a timeout before the first media break.

Another UCLA turnover threatened to spell concern, but the Bruins emerged on an 8-0 run to answer the drought. Sophomore forward Lina Sontag made her return from injury with an immediate deflection and an outlet pass to Jaquez for a basket inside. Following a put-back layup via sophomore guard Londynn Jones, UCLA knotted the game at 10 a piece.

The Buckeyes pushed the pace and maintained a persistent press, but the Bruins were prepared to break the pressure. They tapped into their NCAA-leading rebound margin early, garnering a six-rebound advantage to pair with six second-chance points. When Ohio State stretched the lead to four, UCLA answered with two quick outlet possessions down the floor to bring the score to 17-17 to close the first frame.

UCLA found success getting out in transition in the second quarter, speedily finding the lane and feeding the ball to Betts. The Bruins battled for their first lead at 25-24 with five minutes left in the half, despite going 0-for-7 from deep. 

Behind three combined makes inside from Betts and senior forward Angela Dugalić, the Bruins extended their lead to seven as the Buckeyes endured a nearly four-minute scoring drought.

The Buckeyes interrupted the Bruins’ 12-0 scoring run with their fourth 3-pointer of the night. A late bucket from Ohio State with five seconds remaining in the half brought the score to 37-31, a six-point advantage for UCLA heading into the locker room. The Bruins boasted a plus-11 rebound margin and a 13-of-14 scoring conversion in the paint through the first 20 minutes. 

Less than four minutes into the third quarter, UCLA earned its largest lead of the contest and forced an Ohio State timeout with the score at 48-35. Dugalić faced the basket on the right wing, finding the bottom of the net from deep to unlock the Bruins’ first 3-pointer of the game. Dugalić threw her hands up in celebration before Rice managed another drive-by layup on the ensuing possession. 

Osborne then sank her first 3-pointer of the night, extending the UCLA lead to 53-37 amid a nearly three-minute Ohio State scoring drought before Rice’s spin cycle highlighted the Bruins’ fateful run.