Friday, January 30, 1998
Blazing shooting helps team upset Washington
W. BASKETBALL: For the first time in six meetings, Bruins defeat
Huskies
By Chris Umpierre
Daily Bruin Contributor
It wasn’t supposed to be this easy. When the UCLA women’s
basketball team tipped off against the No. 18 Washington Huskies, a
team they haven’t beaten in the last six games, in Hec Edmundson
Pavilion, a court they hadn’t won on since 1994, the Bruins were
supposed to be challenged to a tough game.
But the Bruins (11-6, 6-2) came out of the locker room on fire,
shooting 71 percent from the field in the first half en route to a
surprisingly easy 80-59 upset of the No. 18 team in the land in
front of a shocked 2,816.
The victory gives UCLA wins in six of their last seven games.
But more importantly, the Bruins are now 4-0 on the road in the
Pac-10.
"It’s exciting," UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier said. "We are
playing really great ball right now."
The win at Edmundson adds to the list of other Bruin victories
in tough places: the team had already won on USC’s Lyon Center and
Oregon’s MacArther Court.
It was a good game until the 8:26 mark of the first half when
UCLA led by a slim 19-16 margin.
Then the Bruins went unconscious.
UCLA seemed like they could do no wrong as they went on a 23-4
run to close out the first half. The brilliant run gave the Bruins
a 42-20 lead at the break and the team never looked back.
The Bruins would lead as much as 29 points in the second half
and never fewer than 17 points. The Huskies second half comeback
was halted by UCLA’s continued hot shooting in the second half. The
team cooled off to 45 percent from the field, finishing the game
with 57 percent.
During the crucial first half run, center Janae Hubbard scored
10 points in the paint. The sophomore would finish the game with 12
points.
Hubbard led a balanced attack for the Bruins as everyone joined
in the fray. Maylana Martin scored 12 points and Melanie Pearson
added 11 points.
One reason for UCLA’s dominance of the Huskies (12-5, 3-5) was
their ability to shut down the No. 2 Pac-10 scorer. The Huskies’
Jamie Redd, who averages 21 points per game, was in foul trouble
early in the game and could never get back into the flow. The
junior point guard finished the game with a season low four points
on a putrid two of 10 shooting.
UCLA’s Erica Gomez was another reason Redd wasn’t able to put up
her usual points.
When Gomez was forced to sit out last season because of a knee
injury, Redd scored 31 points en route to a Husky thrashing of the
Bruins at Edmundson.
But this year Gomez was back in the line-up and was able to hold
Redd at bay. Gomez also sparkled on the offensive end, registering
a game high eight assists.
The Bruins will next travel to Pullman to take on the Washington
State Cougars (9-7, 3-4) on Saturday at 1 pm.
"Washington State is a different look for us," Olivier said.
"Where Washington has 4,000 people in the crowd, there won’t be a
lot of people at Saturday’s game."
The Cougars also play a more physical game than the Huskies.
Washington State depends on their big backcourt of senior Yvonne
Kunze and Alke Dietel. The 6 foot 4 inch duo have been scoring 13
and 14 points respectively.
Washington State, who’s currently at the bottom of the Pac-10,
have already proven their ability to beat top teams.
On Jan. 8, the Cougars stunned the women’s basketball world as
they upset No. 10 Arizona, 64-61, on the road.
The Bruins will have to show the same intensity that they will
tonight to come out of Washington with a sweep.
MARY CIECEK
Marie Philman dribbles the ball past a California guard.