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UCLA Beats Wyoming 82-81 in Triple Overtime

by uclabruins.com
Mar 24, 2022
UCLA celebrates during a triple overtime win at Wyoming

Laramie, Wyo. – UCLA defeated host Wyoming, 82-81, in a triple overtime thriller to advance to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. Bruin guard Charisma Osborne scored 20 points, including the last four in the final overtime period to secure the win. Forward IImar'I Thomas, who scored 18 points with 10 rebounds, sent the game into double overtime with a layup with two seconds remaining on the clock.

After a game that featured 23 lead changes and no lead greater than six, the Bruins move on to play Oregon State in the quarterfinals on Sunday at Noon in Corvallis. The Beavers were 78-73 winners over New Mexico.

Wyoming, playing in its third overtime of the WNIT and its second consecutive triple overtime game, could not generate the same result against the Bruins, ending its season with a 17-13 record. Alba Sanchez Ramos and Quinn Weidemann led the Cowgirls with 21 points apiece.

The Bruins (17-12) overcame a cold start, taking a 12-10 lead at the end of the first quarter after Jaelynn Penn hit two three-pointers in the final minute. UCLA grabbed a five-point lead with 4:27 to play in the second quarter on a Thomas layup, but the Cowgirls came back on the strength of their three-point shooting. The Cowgirls hit 4-for-5 from three-point range in the second quarter and 5-for-6 in the half. UCLA hit its share of threes in the final two minutes, with both Thomas and Natalie Chou giving the Bruins the lead with their three-pointers. An Osborne reverse layup with 44 seconds remaining helped put the Bruins ahead at the half, 32-30.

In the third quarter, UCLA grabbed a 39-33 lead on an Osborne three-pointer. Wyoming responded with six unanswered to tie, but the Bruins came roaring back with a 5-0 run of their own to get back ahead, 44-39, and led at the end of the quarter, 44-43.

After UCLA took a 50-48 fourth quarter lead, a three-pointer by Weidemann, with 3:45 left in the contest put the Cowgirls ahead, 51-50, and forced a timeout by the Bruins. The Cowgirls kept the momentum going with a Sanchez Ramos layup and forced four misses by the Bruins in the next two minutes. Chou, however, answered with a three-pointer with 1:27 remaining to tie at 53. The Bruin defense clamped down and kept the Cowgirls off the board and had an opportunity for the last shot. With the clock winding down, Osborne drove in for a layup but was blocked by Sanchez Ramos. The Bruins got the inbound with 3.8 seconds to play and got the ball to Osborne, but her jumper rimmed out, forcing overtime.

In the first overtime period, Thomas scored UCLA's first five points and gave UCLA a three-point lead that Wyoming erased with a 6-0 run. A Penn layup with 1:16 to play in overtime closed the gap to one, and the Bruins forced an airball on Wyoming's next possession. With 16 seconds remaining, Chantel Horvat missed on a banked jumper. Thomas grabbed the offensive rebound and put the ball in, but the go-ahead basket was negated on an offensive foul on Thomas called before the basket. Wyoming made one of two free throws to claim a 62-60 lead with 12 seconds left, and the Bruins had one last chance to tie, and Thomas delivered with a layup with three ticks on the clock.

Wyoming led by three, 73-70, with 15 seconds on the clock in the second overtime when Osborne was fouled on a three-point attempt. Osborne, who ranks third in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage, hit all three, and Wyoming missed on a three-point attempt. Osborne grabbed the rebound and went down the length of the court for a layup attempt to win, but her shot did not fall, and the game went to a third overtime.

A three-point play by Chou in the third overtime period gave UCLA a 78-76 lead with 1:45 to play, and Osborne hit a jumper with 55 seconds left to extend the lead to four. Wiedemann answered with a layup with 17 seconds remaining to close to two, 80-78, and fouled Osborne, who hit both free throw to make it a two-possession game. Tommi Olson hit a three-pointer with 2.8 on the clock to keep the Cowgirls' hopes alive, but the Bruins successfully inbounded the ball and ran it out till the final buzzer.

Osborne led four Bruins in double-figures, adding nine rebounds and five assists to her 20 points. Joining her and Thomas were Penn, who scored 14 points, and Chou, who scored 13.

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