Mitchell fuels late run, No. 2 South Carolina beats UCLA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tiffany Mitchell scored 17 points, including six in a deciding final run, and No. 2 South Carolina struggled mightily before pulling away late to beat UCLA 68-65 on Sunday night.

Tina Roy also had 17 points for South Carolina (4-0), and Alaina Coates had 12 points and 12 rebounds even though the Bruins (2-1) effectively limited South Carolina’s size advantage with their 2-3 zone.

Against a defense that repeatedly denied the entry pass, the Gamecocks committed 21 turnovers. They struggled to come up with an alternative to their inside game despite a height advantage that enabled them to out-rebound the Bruins 45-31.

Jordin Canada scored 21 points and Nirra Fields added 17, but UCLA lost its 19th straight game against a ranked opponent, dating back to Nov. 24, 2013, when they beat No. 10 Oklahoma 82-76.