Monday, 2/24/97
Trojan horses trample Bruin comeback effort, 87-74
By A. CinQue Carter
Daily Bruin Contributor
The UCLA women’s basketball team continues to struggle, this
time in the form of an 87-74 loss to USC.
The Bruins marched into the Lyon Center and for five minutes and
50 seconds looked like they had actually pulled USC’s card.
The Bruins (11-12, 5-9 Pac-10) jumped out to a 16-10 lead behind
five points apiece by junior Aisha Veasley and freshman Maylana
Martin and six points by freshman Melanie Pearson.
However, the Bruins closed out the half with 16 turnovers and
one assist in the final 14:10, as they were outscored 39-12 before
the break. Sophomore Kristin Clark and senior Tina Thompson paced
the Women of Troy (17-6, 11-3) with 10 and eight points in the
half, respectively. The run gave USC a 49-30 halftime lead.
UCLA closed out the game with a 16-4 run that proved to be too
little, too late.
"The biggest key is that we need to learn how to sustain our
level of intensity," UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier said.
"Frustration’s getting in our way."
Though the Bruins had five players in double figures (Martin,
Veasley, Pearson and freshman Carly Funicello all scored 12 while
Jackson had 11), the USC duo of Thompson and Clark combined for 36
points.
Meanwhile, Veasley’s added 11 rebounds to her 12 points, giving
her the first double-double of her college career.