Monday, March 10, 1997
W. HOOPS:
UCLA players dominate the game due to effective reboundingBy
Anthony Carter
Daily Bruin Contributor
Shades of the future? Visions of things to come? Well, with the
entire team coming back next year "and one," the Bruins hope that
their flashes of greatness will be a constant next year.
The "one," as described by freshman Carly Funicello, is
sophomore Erica Gomez who was a medical redshirt this year due to
torn ligaments in her knee. Gomez, out since October 8 has been
forced to just watch as the fortunes and misfortunes have unfolded
for the Bruins (13-14, 7-11 Pac-10).
On Saturday afternoon, Gomez witnessed the UCLA women’s
basketball team defeat Washington State 85-63 before 3,773 at
Pauley Pavilion.
Though UCLA cruised to the victory after they got the handle on
the game in the second half, the first half was a totally different
story. Washington State took a quick 10-3 lead just minutes into
the game. The Bruins responded with their own 15-4 run to take an
18-14 lead.
In the run, junior Honorable Mention All-Conference Tawana
Grimes had five points while Conference Freshman of the Year,
Maylana Martin, had six of her game-high 25. The Cougars (10-17,
4-14) had an answer as they did for most of the first 29 minutes of
action. Two quick treys for WSU and two free throws by Bruin
freshman Takiyah Jackson would knot the score at 20. Jackson would
finish with 10 points in nine minutes of play.
As the Bruins sprinted to the locker room leading only 33-29,
they could not have known how the tide would turn in their favor in
the second half. UCLA would outscore the Cougars 52-34 to end the
season with a rout.
With 11:40 remaining, and the score at 49-44, freshman Melanie
Pearson sparked a run that enabled the Bruins to pull away for
good. In the ensuing 47 seconds, Pearson outscored the Cougars
seven to two on three of three shooting. Pearson would finish the
game with 15 points.
As a team UCLA shot 63.6 percent from the field to finish at
56.7 percent for the game. The Bruins also shot 100 percent from
behind the arc to finish at 75 percent (even if they only shot four
for the game) and UCLA improved on their 66.5 percent free throw
shooting to finish at 70 percent.
A big reason the Bruins were able to dominate the game was
rebounding. UCLA out-rebounded its opponent 41-20.
Martin recorded 12 rebounds to go along with her three steals.
Aisha Veasley grabbed nine boards to go along with her nine points
and two steals. And Grimes grabbed four boards, finished with seven
assists, 11 points and two steals. Honorable Mention All-Freshman
Carly Funicello (two steals) and Janae Hubbard grabbed four boards
and three boards respectively.
Said UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier after recording her 51st
career victory, "We really have team chemistry now."
AARON TOUT
Bruin freshman Takiyah Jackson