LOS ANGELES — Top-ranked South Carolina felt something it hasn't known in over 2 1/2 years. The sting of defeat after being thoroughly dominated in a 77-62 loss to No. 5 UCLA on Sunday. Gone was the overall 43-game winning streak. Done was the run of 33 consecutive road victories. And the No. 1 ranking it's held for 23 consecutive polls will disappear Monday. "This is what we usually do to teams," coach Dawn Staley said. "We were on the receiving end of it." South Carolina hadn't lost since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat the Gamecocks in the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins (5-0) shot 47% from the floor and 3-point range, hit 11 of 14 free throws and had five players in double figures. "They actually executed our game plan to a T," Staley said. The Gamecocks (5-1) were held to 36% shooting, had just two players in double figures and neither was leading scorer Chloe Kitts, who was held to 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting. They never led, got beat on the boards, 41-34, and were outscored 26-18 in the paint and 8-1 in fast break points. They only made eight trips to the free throw line. "Our kids fought," Staley said, "but we ran into a buzzsaw." South Carolina did manage to limit 6-foot-7 UCLA star Lauren Betts, who had 11 points and 14 rebounds, despite no longer having a dominant center of their own. The Bruins responded by getting the ball to others and eight of their 10 players scored. "We did an excellent job on Betts and we got killed by everyone else," Staley said. Tessa Johnson was the only other Gamecock in double figures with 14. "We needed a lot more than Tessa today," Staley said. The Gamecocks never got their offense in gear, starting the game 0 for 9 before trailing 20-10 at the end of the first quarter. They were down 43-22 at halftime. "Our shot selection is something we're dealing with on a daily basis," Staley said. The Gamecocks outscored UCLA 40-34 in the second half, but the Bruins' big early lead easily held up. "Beautiful basketball by UCLA," Staley said. "You can't help but to love up on it cause it was fluid on both sides of the ball." Given that it's only late November, the Gamecocks have plenty of time to figure things out. "We had some really good contributions from people that don't play a whole lot and we could probably give a little bit more minutes to," Staley said. "Taking a loss will help us focus on anybody that we play." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Governor Okpebholo signs N675 billion Edo 2025 budget into lawPakistan fully committed to fulfilling all international human rights obligations, Foreign Office's spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch says Pakistan’s Foreign Office’s (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Tuesday said recent verdicts by the military courts against civilians arrested in connection with May 9 riots were made “under a law enacted by the Parliament of Pakistan and in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan”. FO spokesperson’s statement came hours after the US Department of State showed concern over trial of civilians by the military courts in Pakistan. Last week, the military courts sentenced 25 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement in violent attacks on military installations during nationwide riots in May 2023. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), military’s media wing, described the verdicts as “an important milestone in dispensation of justice”. However, the United States, the European Union (EU) , and the United Kingdom (UK) reacted to the trial of civilians by the military courts in Pakistan and asked Islamabad to respect the right to a fair trial and due process. “Pakistan is fully committed to fulfilling all its international human rights obligations,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in Tuesday’s statement. “Pakistan’s legal system is consistent with international human rights law including provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It has remedies of judicial review by the superior courts and guarantees promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. “Pakistan believes in constructive and productive dialogue to promote principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We remain fully committed to implementing our commitments under the GSP Plus Scheme and core international human rights conventions,” she further said.THE approval by President Bongbong Marcos of the 2025 national government budget caps another season of madness. As in previous years, the budget has become a tool for politicians to build their kingdoms at the expense of the underserved constituents. It is easy to turn an accusing eye at the president and his pet dogs in Congress for this unending atrocity. But let us not forget they have principalities at the local levels to babysit. At the core of political dynasties are siblings, uncles, children of thieving age, in-laws, among many other enablers, who need funding for mostly substandard infrastructure projects every year. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.
THE approval by President Bongbong Marcos of the 2025 national government budget caps another season of madness. As in previous years, the budget has become a tool for politicians to build their kingdoms at the expense of the underserved constituents. It is easy to turn an accusing eye at the president and his pet dogs in Congress for this unending atrocity. But let us not forget they have principalities at the local levels to babysit. At the core of political dynasties are siblings, uncles, children of thieving age, in-laws, among many other enablers, who need funding for mostly substandard infrastructure projects every year. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.