COLUMBIA — No. 1 South Carolina women's basketball overcame a sluggish start to remain undefeated against ranked opponents this season, beating No. 15 UCLA 73-64 at Colonial Life Arena on Tuesday.

After trailing 31-27 at halftime and by as much as 10 points, the Gamecocks (7-0) outscored UCLA (7-1) in the third quarter to tie the game at 47 entering the fourth. After the Bruins got into foul trouble late, South Carolina pulled away to a three-score lead. UCLA's Lina Sontag fouled out early in the fourth quarter, as did star freshman Kiki Rice with seconds left to play. Camryn Brown finished with four fouls.

The Gamecocks were led in by Georgia Tech transfer Kierra Fletcher, who had a career night with 12 points, 10 rebounds and an assist. The victory was South Carolina's 17th consecutive ranked win, with the team's last ranked loss coming against Stanford in the 2021 Final Four.

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Aliyah Boston dominates despite injury concerns

Boston proved why she is the reigning national player of the year again against UCLA, impacting every area of the court in the comeback win. She finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and four blocks two days after she exited the Hampton game and returned to the bench in a walking boot after a right ankle injury. She was a game-time decision against the Bruins.

The senior forward was the team's most consistent shooter, going 5-of-7 from the field and 8-of-11 on free throws. She also led the team in defensive rebounds with seven, though junior center Kamilla Cardoso led in offensive rebounds with five.

Offense flounders in first half, makes halftime adjustments

South Carolina's offense couldn't buy a bucket in the first half with abysmal shooting percentages in all three phases. The Gamecocks were 1-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc, 12-of-38 from field in first half, Boston led scoring with six points and only she and Cooke had more than five.

The second half Gamecocks looked like a new team. Four players — Boston, Fletcher, Cardoso and Zia Cooke — finished scoring in double figures, and the team outscored UCLA 46-33 after halftime.

Size matters less vs. UCLA's speed

The Gamecocks have often leaned on their height advantage with 6-foot-5 Boston and 6-7 Cardoso at their disposal, but UCLA exploited the less-explosive South Carolina lineups with its speed. The Bruins showed off impressive defensive motion, dropping doubles in and out on Boston and packing the paint as South Carolina struggled from beyond the arc. Speed was also essential, especially in transition, for the UCLA offense, and the Bruins finished with 12 fast-break points.

Rebounding, usually one of South Carolina's greatest strengths, was matched by UCLA's aggressive movement. At point guard, Fletcher led the team in rebounds with 10, and the Gamecocks were tied with UCLA in rebounding 23-23 at halftime with the Bruins leading in defensive rebounds.

However, as the Bruins got tired late in the second half, South Carolina's bigs began to come to life. Cardoso joined Boston and Fletcher with a near double-double, logging 16 points and nine rebounds plus four blocks.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women's basketball beats UCLA 73-64 with late comeback