Monday, January 25, 1999
Team pumped to try for 18-0 record in Pac-10
WBASKETBALL: Bruins continue 7-0 conference winning streak vs.
USC
By A. CinQue Carter
Daily Bruin Staff
Seven down, 11 to go. The UCLA women’s basketball team has won a
season-high eight games in a row and has improved to 7-0 in the
Pac-10 and 15-4 overall.
After defeating Arizona, Oregon, Stanford and USC in consecutive
weeks, the Bruins feel they can go 18-0 in the conference.
"For the first time we’re good enough and ready to go 18-0,"
junior Marie Philman said following the Bruins’ 94-53 victory over
USC on Saturday. "We’re more experienced. We’re more focused and we
make better decisions than we have in the past."
Before a record UCLA women’s basketball crowd of 9,530 the
Bruins seemed to make all the right decisions, scoring early and
often to dominate the battered Women of Troy.
The Bruins jumped out to a 12-3 lead and then extended it to
20-8. On the backs of an 8-0 run, two 11-0 runs and a 13-0 run, the
Bruins ran away with this one. Junior forward Marie Philman and
junior point guard scored seven and eight points respectively while
shooting 100 percent from the field. Sophomore shooting guard
LaCresha Flannigan scored 12 points on six of seven shooting. And
junior forward Maylana Martin and junior center Janae Hubbard
rounded out the five Bruins in double figures with 18 and 10
points, respectively.
UCLA coach Kathy Olivier even seemed to please the opposing
coach with at least one of her decisions.
With a 49-20 lead at the half created by a lot of fast break
buckets off of 10 steals, Olivier decided to ease the defensive
pressure on USC (6-10 overall, 2-5 Pac-10).
"I appreciate the fact that UCLA didn’t press in the second
half," USC coach Chris Gobrecht said. "I really appreciate that
because it could have gotten a lot uglier."
Olivier feels that a big reason for the Bruins just missing the
mark for largest margin of victory in the series (42) was UCLA’s
defense creating UCLA’s offense. The Bruins shot 62.7 percent from
the field and made 20 of 25 free throws.
"This team takes care of business," Olivier said of her Bruins
that have won 15 of 17. "I don’t have to hound them. I’m just
overwhelmed. I’m just one of the luckiest people around."
Another one of those lucky people was Sarah Belavic, a freshman
walk-on who played only four total minutes in the past seven games.
Belavic entered this contest with the Bruins leading 66-32 and
played the final 12:06. While the young Bruin did not score, she
did hold her own, playing solid zone defense and grabbing three
boards and a steal.
In all, the bench played quite well for UCLA. Junior forward
Carly Funicello continued her sharp shooting, going six of 10 from
the field and scoring 13 points, grabbing three boards, two blocks,
one assist and one steal.
Transfer sophomore Ayesha Rembert was played 16 quality minutes
herself, scoring 14 points on 50 percent shooting from the field
and shooting six of six from the line. Freshman Michelle Greco got
all six of her points from six trips to the line and dished out
four assists and produced three steals as well.
"Any time you make free throws down the stretch," Olivier said
of her Bruins that shot 13 of 15 from the line in the second half,
"you’re a better team."
Despite the success of the Bruins, Olivier feels there is still
much to learn and improvement is necessary.
"As good as we are I don’t think we’ve reached our potential,"
Olivier said. "This team is very grounded. As quickly as we’ve been
winning, you can lose in the Pac-10. Teams will come ready to beat
us.
But we will maintain focus and hopefully we will peak around
tournament time."
What a scary thought for the rest of the conference and the
nation.DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin
Sophomore guard LaCresha Flannigan attempts a pass from below
despite the hovering USC defense. She scored 12 points in the
Bruins’ smashing victory over USC on Saturday.
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