Monday, February 2, 1998
Wins not too close for comfort
W.BASKETBALL Team sweeps Washington schools, has won six games
by six points or less
By Chris Umpierre
Daily Bruin Contributor
If you hadn’t noticed there’s a new and improved UCLA women’s
basketball team this season, the squad was happy to let you know on
Saturday night.
Down 12 points at halftime and by as much as 19 in the second
half to Washington State (9-8, 3-5 Pac-10) on Friel Court in
Pullman, Wash., the Bruins clawed their way back into the game and
pulled off a come from behind 76-70 victory.
The win not only gave the team a sweep of the Washington schools
– the program’s first since 1993 – but more importantly a 7-2 mark
(which included a perfect 5-0 on the road) in the Pac-10 after the
first half of conference play. The 7-2 record is the best the
program has done in the first nine conference games.
The first round Pac-10 record is an exact turnaround of what the
team did last year. With the same personnel, only a year younger,
UCLA finished the first round a dismal 2-7 last season.
Last year’s team, which finished the year 13-14, was adept at
losing close games. But this year’s squad has amended the problems
of a year ago and are not only finding ways to win close games, but
also games that it hasn’t played well in – a mark of a good
team.
"This year we are more confident in close games," sophomore
guard Marie Philman said, whose team has won six games by six
points or fewer. "We know what to do."
A case in point: Saturday night’s Washington State game.
Two days after upsetting No. 18 Washington, the Bruins came out
sluggish in the first half. The Cougars press forced turnover after
turnover and before the team knew it, UCLA was down 12 points at
the break.
"We came out less intense than we did in the Washington game,"
Philman said. "But we knew it would be a tough game. We knew
Washington State had already beaten (No. 10) Arizona on the
road."
"I just think we were flat in the first half," UCLA head coach
Kathy Olivier said. "Janae (Hubbard) got in foul trouble and their
press really hurt us."
An injury to point guard Erica Gomez’s thumb, which she had
banged up against the Huskies, didn’t help matters either.
"She wasn’t 100 percent," Olivier said. "Her thumb made it tough
on her to bring the ball up."
Last year’s team of probably wouldn’t have come back from that
deficit, especially when Washington State pushed its lead up to 19
early in the second half, but this year’s edition fought its way
back.
Behind some stellar play from Philman, who scored 12 of her 14
points in the second half, and some gritty play by Gomez, who,
despite her injury, finished with 14 points and 6 assists, the
Bruins took their first lead of the game with just 1:30 left in the
second half.
A key three-pointer by freshman LaCresha Flannigan and a handful
of free throws by All-American candidate Maylana Martin, who had 24
points and 10 rebounds, put the game out of reach.
The Bruins walked out of Friel Court with not only a comeback
victory but a sweep of the Washington schools.
"We got our brooms out," Olivier said. "The players were really
focused this weekend."
Last weekend was the second time her squad was able to sweep, as
the Bruins have already swept the Oregon schools on the road. The
Bruins have won 10 of their last 12 games.
"I just think we are playing really good basketball right now,"
Olivier said. "We have a lot of confidence."
The gritty comeback and victory in the close game brings back
memories for Olivier of when her team beat USC on the road earlier
in the year.
"It was like the USC game," Olivier said. "Even though we didn’t
have the best game of the year, we knew we were going to win. Last
year, we would have lost that game but this year we have been
beating teams in the close games."
Last year’s memories were filled with frustration as Olivier’s
team lost four games by four points or less. But according to
Olivier and her Bruins, that was last year and this new and
improved women’s basketball team is now.