Nearly a month has passed since the UCLA women’s
basketball team stumbled at home against California, but the sting
of the loss has not subsided.
Still in the hunt for a NCAA bid, the Bruins will be seeking
revenge when they get another chance at the Bears (8-15, 4-10
Pac-10) tonight in Berkeley.
“We owe them,” freshman guard Nikki Blue said.
“It’s payback time.”
Blue and the Bruins cannot afford another lackluster performance
against their neighbors to the north. With four games left before
the Pac-10 Tournament, UCLA must finish the season with a flurry to
build an NCAA tournament-caliber resume.
The Bruins are currently fourth in the Pac-10 but could move
into a third-place tie with No. 25 Arizona (17-7, 10-5 Pac-10) by
defeating Cal tonight.
“They are a talented team, and they play much better at
home,” UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier said. “We are
going to have to be focused and ready to play.”
In the first meeting between the two teams, the Bruins appeared
lackadaisical for much of the game. They fell behind by as many as
17 points midway through the second half. Guard Nihan Anaz led a
balanced Cal attack with 17 points while center Timea Ivanyi posted
a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards as the Bears prevailed
69-61.
“They outworked us on our own floor,” Olivier said.
“That was a wake-up call. We can’t afford to overlook
anyone.”
After a midseason slump in which they lost five of six games,
UCLA seems to have found its stride again. The Bruins swept the
Arizona schools at home last weekend and appear to have plenty of
incentive to even the score with the Bears.
“I’m sure that UCLA will be extremely
motivated,” Cal head coach Caren Horstmeyer said. “They
had a good weekend, and they will be looking to gain another
win.”
Although winning on the road has been particularly difficult
this season in the Pac-10, the Bruins have been more successful
than most. Their 4-3 record away from Pauley Pavilion is the
second-best road mark in the conference.
It is unclear how many more wins UCLA will need to earn a
postseason berth, but a pair of victories in the Bay Area against
Cal and No. 9 Stanford would be a huge boost.
“We have four games left, but we can’t afford to
look at the big picture yet,” Olivier said.
“We have to keep things simple. I’d love to sweep
the road trip, but we have to beat Cal first.”