Bruins’ run in WNIT ends in the semifinals

The poise and pride of the four graduate students and two redshirt seniors on the UCLA women’s basketball team helped get the Bruins to the WNIT Final Four and kept them neck-and-neck with South Dakota State on Thursday night.

During the toughest moments of the Bruins’ 62-59 semifinal loss in Brookings, South Dakota, the experience of veteran players such as graduate students Ilmar’l Thomas and Jaelynn Penn kept the team calm.

“Every time we’re out there, we talk a lot about neutral thinking,” coach Cori Close said. “What does the team need now? And that really came from our seniors.”

Thomas tied for a gamehigh with 24 points on 9-for13 shooting and pulled down five rebounds, while Penn scored seven points at a sold-out Frost Arena. Both made crucial 3-pointers late in the game to keep the Bruins’ hopes alive.

Neither team led by more than six points in a game that featured seven lead changes in the final 3:17 alone, and UCLA (18-14) took its last lead at 58-57 on a pair of Charisma Osborne free throws with 1:13 left.

Myah Selland (24 points) tied the score with a free throw of her own a few seconds later, then had the assist when freshman Haleigh Timmer (15 points) hit a goahead jumper with 37 seconds left.

Thomas was fouled grabbing her own offensive rebound on UCLA’S next possession and made one of two free throws to get UCLA within 60-59 with 28 seconds left. Penn blocked a shot on SDSU’S ensuing possession, but the Jackrabbits (28-9) grabbed the rebound and Tori Nelson made a pair of free throws for a three-point lead with 20 seconds left. Osborne missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

“It wasn’t the year we all wanted,” Thomas said, “but I’m super grateful for meeting these girls and playing for this coaching staff and putting these four letters across my chest. That’s a huge deal.”

Osborne finished with 11 points, eight assists and four rebounds.

The Jackrabbits had twice as many rebounds as UCLA in the first half, and finished with a 45-27 advantage on the boards, though the Bruins took better care of the ball with 11 turnovers compared to SDSU’S 20.

The teams were tied at 40-all to begin the fourth quarter and Thomas knotted the score again at 5050 when she hit a 3-pointer with 3:38 left. Penn and Thomas added two more 3-pointers in the final 2:28 to give the Bruins a 56-55 lead before a Selland jumper with 1:36 left and Osborne’s late free throws accounted for the final lead changes of the night.

Although Thomas and Penn made those three clutch 3-pointers in the final minutes, the Bruins finished just 3 for 16 from behind the arc.

“The rebounding battle was really where the game was (decided), at least for us,” Close said. “Honestly, our inability to guard the drive in that second half was really the difference. Our ability to guard off the bounce was tough tonight.”

The Jackrabbits will host Seton Hall, which defeated Middle Tennessee, 74-73, in the WNIT final on Saturday – the Jackrabbits’ fifth straight home game in the 64-team event.

After winning twice at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA played its final three WNIT games on the road, including a triple-overtime game against Wyoming.