MANDY WHITING Senior center Shalada "She-She"
Allen goes up for a shot over a BYU opponent. UCLA
73 BYU 62
By Adam Titcher
Daily Bruin Contributor
For the second straight game, the UCLA women’s basketball
team has come from behind to beat an opponent they lost to in the
previous year. Yet, this time, it was not as a result of their go
to player, senior guard Michelle Greco.
“They were pressuring Greco a lot, so I was just trying to
get open, and I did,” said senior center Shalada Allen, who
scored 14 points.
After only playing five minutes, Allen returned with 8:10 left
in the game. Her jumper, along with a defensive effort that forced
multiple turnovers, sparked a 16-3 Bruin run.
“Our defense really picked up when we were down and we did
not panic,” UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier said.
The 73-62 victory over BYU was sealed when junior guard Natalie
Nakase sank a three pointer to put the Bruins (3-1) ahead for good
with four minutes remaining.
UCLA played their last nine minutes differently than the rest of
game. They were certainly not the team that shot dismally from all
ranges in the first 31 minutes.
The Cougars (2-2) looked as if they could not miss, shooting
45.5 percent from three point land. This, as well as the
containment of Greco, resulted in a 31-26 halftime lead for
BYU.
“She puts up 15 shots in front of their bench before the
game and you see the coaches mingle, and they want to stop
her,” Olivier said.
Greco, who took only nine field goals, was not exactly stopped,
however. She finished with a game-high 22 points.
The Bruins used a quicker game to pressure a team that was
overly reliant on three pointers in the end, as the Cougars shot 22
percent from behind the arc in the second half.
When UCLA needed to step up, the team did. The Bruins have risen
to the occasion in the second half of all their four regular season
games.
A team that feels more focused at the end of games has now won
two in a row for the first time in a year.
Still, Olivier notes that it is important for the team to not
only finish strongly, but to also be ready to take on any team from
the start.
“It’s something we need work on,” Olivier
said. “This team likes to have fun, and when they have too
much fun they become unfocused.”
Olivier is excited about the team’s fast start, but still
wants to emphasize on getting the players into full game shape.
Considering how well the Cougars shot in the first half, the
Bruins could have lost.
But in crunch time, the team came through. While harassing the
Cougars on the defensive end, the team made eight of its final 10
free throws to ice the game.
Losses received last year still linger in the minds of some
Bruins, but with every victory and clutch play, the sour taste left
turns sweet.
“We don’t forget,” Greco said.