No. 5-seed Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Falls to No. 1-seed UCLA in Sweet 16, Ending NCAA Tournament Run

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OXFORD, Miss. — The No. 5-seed Ole Miss women’s basketball team kept things close at halftime and dominated the offensive glass, but No. 1-seed UCLA delivered on offense and pulled away in the second half to advance to the Elite Eight.

The 76-62 loss ends the second Sweet 16 run of head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin‘s coaching career as she continues to draw more attention to the program every season.

What a ride for Team 50 ❤️#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/ANfU68eoJm

— Ole Miss Women’s BB (@OleMissWBB) March 29, 2025

First half 

UCLA won the opening tip, but both teams struggled to score early, with missed layups and jumpers on both ends. UCLA got on the board first when Kiki Rice knocked down a pair of free throws almost two minutes into play. The Bruins extended their opening run to 8-0, anchored by Lauren Betts making back-to-back layups.

Ole Miss finally got on the scoreboard when KK Deans drained a three-pointer to end the four minute drought, and Starr Jacobs trimmed UCLA’s lead to 8-5 after a few misses from both sides. However, the Bruins answered with a three-pointer from Angela Dugalic, starting a two-minute 7-1 run. Both teams continued to trade baskets in the final minutes of the first, with UCLA maintaining a lead as Betts dominated inside.

Trailing 19-12, the Rebels opened the second quarter with five unanswered points to cut the deficit to just two. Ole Miss ramped up the defensive pressure, forcing turnovers and getting second-chance opportunities. Kennedy Todd-Williams sank a pair of free throws, and Tameiya Sadler got a putback layup to fall which made it a 19-17 UCLA lead.

YEA TAM 😤#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/U27QhIZehD

— Ole Miss Women’s BB (@OleMissWBB) March 29, 2025

Once again though, the Bruins separated from the Rebels behind the paint play from Betts, extending the lead to seven with four minutes left in the half. Both teams struggled to get anything to fall for two minutes, late in the half.

Ole Miss ended the final 90 seconds on an 8-2 run with baskets from Deans leading the way. The Rebels closed the gap to just one point halftime, as UCLA held a 30-29 lead.

AND ONE.@kkdeans | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/2D1yOk4khs

— Ole Miss Women’s BB (@OleMissWBB) March 29, 2025

Despite the front court size for the Bruins, Team 50 led the rebound battle by two and grabbed 12 offensive boards to UCLA’s three. At the break, the Rebels forced 8 turnovers and only turned it over once; it was the shooting percentage (29%) holding them back from a lead.

Deans led the way at the half with nine points while Todd-Williams posted a team-high 8 boards. Christeen Iwuala grabbed five offensive rebounds, also a team-high. Betts led the Bruins with 16 points and five rebounds.

Second half

UCLA opened the second half strong, again starting the half on an 8-0 run. It was five points from Rice that blazed the way, giving the Bruins a nine-point lead in the blink of an eye. Kharyssa Richardson ended the run and cut the Ole Miss deficit to seven, but it was Betts with back-to-back buckets to give UCLA its largest lead of the night at 42-31.

Sadler responded for the Rebels, cutting the margin back down to single digits. However, the Bruins came right back with a 7-0 run in 90 seconds to make it a 16-point lead midway through the third quarter. Ole Miss scored five unanswered to cut it back down to 11, and the Bruins kept it there as Todd-Williams drained a few buckets for the Rebels late in the quarter.

Going for a spin 🌀#MarchMadness x 🎥 ESPN / @OleMissWBB pic.twitter.com/Jh3aIjzFAx

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 29, 2025

Leading 55-44 to begin the fourth, UCLA continued the fast starts and opened on an 8-2 run that made it a 17-point deficit for Ole Miss. Sadler, Deans and Todd-Williams fought on every offensive possession in attempt find some rhythm for the Rebels, but the final five minutes of play belonged to Rice and Betts, bringing the Bruins to a 76-62 victory.

Betts finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, anchoring the paint for the Bruins. Sadler led Ole Miss with 14 points, while Todd-Williams and Deans combined for 26 points. Iwuala and Todd-Williams tied for the team-high in rebounds with nine; Iwuala grabbed eight of hers on the offensive end. Madison Scott was held to just four points.

UCLA will advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2018, and Ole Miss will head back to Oxford as they begin preparations for Team 51. The program expectations have been raised by Team 50, ending the season 22-11 with a second Sweet 16 appearance in three years.