How will the UCLA women’s basketball team follow up an
exhibition that featured the return of Michelle Greco and a
game-winning basket at the buzzer by freshman Noelle Quinn?
Well, with another exhibition.
In their final tune-up for the regular season, the Bruins will
lace it up against the West Coast All-Stars tonight at Pauley
Pavilion. UCLA will welcome back former Bruins Lacresha (Flannigan)
Scott (1998-2000) and Natalie Jarret (2000-2003), both of whom are
now members of the West Coast All-Stars.
Although the official season doesn’t start until next
Monday against UNLV, don’t tell these Bruins that exhibitions
don’t count for anything.
“It really was (emotional),” forward Julia Pitts
said of the team’s exhibition opener. “We were down by
17 points at one point, so it shows we are a comeback team. It
shows our team does have it in us to pull it out. When we play
our game, we can be a really good team.”
Tonight’s exhibition is also one last opportunity for the
team to apply what it’s learning in practice to the hardwood
in actual competition.
“We’re working on winning,” head coach Kathy
Olivier said. “We’re trying to get better at all the
basic things. This team has a lot of talent and a lot of
ability, but now we just have to form some better
habits.”
UCLA’s dramatic two-point victory over Love and Basketball
provided a good representation of the team’s strengths and
weaknesses.
The most encouraging part of that game was the play of freshmen
Noelle Quinn and Amanda Livingston, both of whom appeared relaxed
and confident in their first collegiate game.
“I liked the play of some of our young ones,”
Olivier said. “Noelle did a great job as a freshman, and
Amanda Livingston off the bench did a very good job as
well.”
A source for concern in the exhibition opener was the
Bruins’ half-court defense, which was at times spotty. UCLA
allowed Love and Basketball to shoot 50 percent from the floor,
compared to shooting 40 percent themselves. It wasn’t
until Olivier decided to implement a full-court press that the
Bruins forced some turnovers that resulted in easy baskets.
“I thought our press picked up the tempo and got us
going,” said Olivier, who will look to use the press more
often. “We have a couple of other things defensively that we
might do to try and get us where we are not flat-footed.”