No. 1 South Carolina's winning streak ends at 43 with loss to No. 5 UCLA
No. 5 UCLA topped No. 1 South Carolina 77-62 on Sunday at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, snapping the Gamecocks' 43-game winning streak.
South Carolina hadn't suffered a defeat since its Final Four matchup against Caitlin Clark and Iowa in March 2023. The Gamecocks, defending national champions, also hadn't lost on the road since 2021, spanning 33 contests.
The Gamecocks were held to 22 points in the first half.
"This is what we usually do to teams," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said, according to Beth Harris of The Associated Press. "We were on the receiving end of it."
Staley added: "Our kids fought, but we ran into a buzzsaw."
UCLA guard Londynn Jones led the Bruins in scoring with 15 points, while Elina Aarnisalo added 13. Star center Lauren Betts was held to 11 points and 14 rebounds.
South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao recorded 18 points in the defeat.
The Bruins improved to 5-0, earning their first win ever over a No. 1 team in the AP Poll. They had previously beaten No. 2 Oregon in 2019 and No. 2 Stanford in 2008.