LAS VEGAS — Rori Harmon scored 26 points and No. 4 Texas held on to beat No. 3 UCLA 76-65 on Wednesday in the Players Era Championship.
After building a 23-point lead late in the third quarter, the Longhorns staved off UCLA’s late surge to advance to Thursday’s championship game at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Texas (6-0) will face the winner of South Carolina-Duke in the title game, while the Bruins (6-1) will play the loser for third place.
The Bruins trailed by just four after a 24-7 run, sparked by Kiki Rice’s 12 points. But three failed possessions – a missed 3-pointer and two turnovers – allowed Texas to pull away.
Twenty turnovers – the Bruins had never committed more than 15 this season – led to the Bruins’ downfall.
Gianna Kneepkens and Rice led the Bruins with 17 points each. Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 13 points on 50% shooting.
Madison Booker finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Longhorns. Jordan Lee had 13 points and Justice Carlton chipped in 10.
Texas was superior defensively in the first quarter, forcing seven UCLA turnovers and turning them into six points. Despite going 0 for 4 from the 3-point line, the Longhorns were 9 of 15 (47.4%) from inside the arc in the opening period to take a 10-point lead after one.
The Longhorns doubled their lead in the second quarter, outscoring UCLA by 10 again, to take a 45-25 lead into the locker room at halftime. Texas shot a blistering 51.4% in the first half, while UCLA stumbled to a 44.4% clip after 20 minutes.
UCLA survived a scare when center Lauren Betts left the game early in the third quarter with what appeared to be an upper-body injury.
Betts, an AP preseason All-American selection, collided with Booker and writhed in pain on the court, grabbing her arm as trainers tended to her. The 6-foot-7 senior returned to the game after spending several minutes in the locker room.
Betts, who came into the game averaging 15.2 points per game, finished with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting.