Women’s basketball drops top-10 matchup with South Carolina

A slow start to the second half doomed the No. 9 UCLA women’s basketball team to a 66-57 loss to South Carolina on Sunday.

The No. 6 Gamecocks started the second half with a 17-3 run, breaking the game open after the teams played to a 26-26 tie at halftime.

Junior forward Monique Billings pulled down a career-high 22 rebounds for the Bruins (8-2) and completed her double-double with 12 points. Senior guard Jordin Canada led UCLA with 15 points on just 6-for-20 shooting. UCLA shot an inefficient 28.2 percent from the floor.

Both of UCLA’s losses have been to top-10 teams. Sunday’s loss was the first for the Bruins since an 84-70 loss to then-No. 2 Baylor on Nov. 14.

UCLA has one more game until Pac-12 play starts, finishing the nonconference slate with North Carolina A&T on Tuesday in Columbia, S.C., before facing Utah on Dec. 30 at Pauley Pavilion.