TAMPA, Fla. — Passes glanced off their hands. Rebounds squirted out of bounds. The bright lights of a historic season blinded UCLA on the biggest stage.

Connecticut, appearing in its 16th Final Four in the last 17 NCAA tournaments, played like a team used to this moment, dominating UCLA 85-51 in the Final Four at Amalie Arena on Friday in the largest margin of victory in an NCAA women’s national semifinal.

Lost in a haze of 19 turnovers and 12 missed three-point shots, the Bruins (34-3) looked nothing like the team that earned the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.

Although star center Lauren Betts muscled up 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting, the Bruins made just four three-pointers on 16 attempts. UConn star Paige Bueckers had a quiet 16 points — including just six in the first half — but the Bruins still fell behind by 20 at halftime, equaling the largest deficit they faced all season, because Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong dominated with 19 and 22 points, respectively.

“We got exposed. We got out-toughed. We got our butts beat today,” Close said. “And it stings right now. And may the pain of that regret and this loss … if handled well, buy us a ticket to be better the next time hopefully we get this opportunity.”

Of the national semifinalists, UCLA was the only one making its first trip to the NCAA Final Four. Close was the only coach making her Final Four debut. She tried to ask peers for advice about handling the largest stage and hoped to prepare her players for the unique travel schedule, the new media obligations and the new atmosphere. But in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,731, the Bruins quickly learned there is no amount of advice that can replace true experience.

“The biggest surprise was just how crazy all of this is,” said center Lauren Betts, who tried to carry the Bruins with 26 points. “They really put on a show for all of us, which is really cool and I never experienced that before. … But I feel like I knew how big of a deal this game was and I feel like I tried to show it for the most part.”

Betts, who was 11 for 18 from the field, was the only UCLA player to make more than three shots from the field. Meanwhile, Connecticut was fueled by its three stars. Freshman Sarah Strong led the team with 22 points and eight rebounds while Azzi Fudd delivered 19 points. Their contributions made star guard Paige Bueckers’ 16 points, five rebounds and five assists a footnote.

“I have to say that this was somewhat unexpected,” said UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who estimated the Huskies played a flawless game, especially on defense. “UCLA is just really, really good and really, really hard to play against. It took everything we have, and I’m really humbled by their performance tonight.”

UCLA’s season — which featured a school record for wins, the program’s first No. 1 NCAA tournament seed and the first appearance in a national semifinal since 1979 — felt charmed after the Bruins bounced back from a humiliating loss to USC at home. They exorcised their rivalry demons by defeating the Trojans in the Big Ten tournament for their first conference tournament championship since 2006. They finally overcame the Sweet 16 hurdle that tripped them up five times under Close. They got revenge against Louisiana State to make school history and reach Tampa.

But they left their magic 3,000 miles away in Washington.

UCLA turned the ball over on the opening possession as Londynn Jones botched a simple pass toward Angela Dugalic. Fudd banked in a three-pointer in the first quarter. UCLA’s Timea Gardiner had a three-pointer roll around the inside of the rim and pop out.

Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers controls the ball in front of UCLA’s Lauren Betts, left, and Gabriela Jaquez during the first half of the Final Four on Friday.

UCLA’s bench couldn’t swing the momentum.

“In a way we were kind of looking for things to just settle in and for things to come to us,” said guard Kiki Rice, who had eight points, two assists and three turnovers. “I think we needed to go out and take the game and to go make plays, not have plays happen to us.”

After freshman Elina Aarnisalo’s turnover turned into a fast-break layup for Kaitlyn Chen that put the Huskies up 39-22 with 1:32 remaining in the second quarter, Close gestured desperately to the referee for a timeout. But before Close could debrief with players, Rice pulled her teammates into a tight huddle. The junior point guard shouted toward her teammates while coaches huddled together separately, showing the vocal leadership she’s honed for three years at UCLA.

Rice, Betts, Gabriela Jaquez and Jones figure to be cornerstones of a team that is still firmly in its championship window. Every player has eligibility to return next year.

Betts, whose transfer to UCLA last season propelled the Bruins into national championship contenders, checked out in the final two minutes with tears welling in her eyes as she gave her teammates high fives. She buried her face in a towel on the bench. Charlisse Leger-Walker whispered encouraging words into her ear.

“I hope this fuels us,” Betts said, “and I hope that we come out angry after this.”