LOS ANGELES — The buzzer sounded and the party was on at Pauley Pavilion. Then-No. 5 UCLA had just knocked off defending champion and No. 1-ranked South Carolina 77-62, snapping the Gamecocks’ 43-game win streak. The Bruins rushed to the logo at halfcourt, jumping up and down in celebration. Junior star Lauren Betts embraced recent alums Charisma Osborne and Camryn Brown courtside. A group of students rushed onto the court, joining in on the antics.
It was the second dramatic upset in a 24-hour — and 15-mile — span. On Saturday, then-No. 6 Notre Dame upended USC 74-61, leading the country’s third-ranked team by 21 at one point. The dominance of the shorthanded Irish had fans of host USC heading for the exits midway through the fourth quarter.
Two days in November in Los Angeles, two games that were the season’s most consequential to date.
Last season, the Gamecocks emerged as early contenders and held onto the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press poll from mid-November onward….
