A traffic jam on the 405-freeway isn’t as jumbled as the
Pac-10 women’s basketball standings are right now. This
weekend’s slate of conference games, however, should ease
some of the congestion.
With the season nearing its midway point, and with the UCLA
women’s basketball team two-and-a-half games out of first
place, the pressure of winning each game is increasing. Needless to
say, the Bruins (8-6, 3-2 Pac-10) embark on a crucial two-game road
trip through the desert this week, facing Arizona State (9-5, 3-2)
tonight and perennial Pac-10 powerhouse Arizona (12-4, 4-1) on
Sunday.
If the Bruin players don’t realize the significance of
this week’s games, they only need to be within earshot of
their coach.
“Huge weekend,” coach Kathy Olivier said.
“It’s time to separate who’s for real and
who’s not, and hopefully we’ll be in the clump
that’s for real.”
Coming off a solid home stand that saw them dominate
bottom-feeders Washington State and Washington, the Bruins must
take their act on the road, where their play has suffered.
Finishing with the conference’s second-best road mark last
season is a distant memory for UCLA as the squad has racked up a
2-5 record away from Pauley Pavilion this season, with two of its
losses coming by the narrowest of margins: one point.
While the Bruins are attempting to alleviate their road woes,
the state of Arizona may be one of the worst places to try to turn
over a new leaf. Both Arizona State and Arizona are undefeated at
home, boasting records of 7-0 and 8-0, respectively.
“A sweep is great, but with the way the Pac-10 is right
now, a split is great, too,” Olivier said. “Both
Arizona State and Arizona are good basketball teams, and it’s
tough to go into the desert and come home with two wins.”
“We’re a close-knit team off the court, but on the
court, we have to bring it together and take care of each
other,” sophomore forward Lisa Willis. Â
During its current three-game winning streak, UCLA’s
pattern for success has remained consistent. A whole lot of Willis,
Nikki Blue and Noelle Quinn on offense, and a balanced team effort
on defense.
In its matchup with Arizona State, UCLA will face a squad very
similar to itself. Because the Sun Devils only have one player
averaging double digits in points, forward Betsy Boardman at 11.5
points per game, the Arizona State offensive attack can come from
any number of places, preventing the Bruin defense from honing in
on one or two key players.
Arizona poses quite a different challenge. On offense, the
Wildcats rely heavily on 5-foot-6 guard Dee-Dee Wheeler (17.5
points per game) and reigning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, 6-foot-5
Shawntinice Polk (16.0 points, 9.4 rebounds per game).
The colossal Polk, who pulled down 15 rebounds in both games
against UCLA last season, poses an interesting defensive quandary
for the Bruins. Olivier will likely utilize senior leader and
defensive specialist Jamila Veasley on Polk, who did an admirable
job last season.