Sophomore Noelle Quinn called it the biggest game of her
collegiate career. Junior Nikki Blue played all 40 minutes on a bum
ankle, knowing exactly what was at stake. Coach Kathy Olivier said
it was the most significant regular season victory that she could
recall. But that was on Sunday, and now the Bruins are convinced
that the true meaning of beating powerhouse Texas lies somewhere in
the hills of Malibu. When UCLA travels to face a mediocre
Pepperdine team later tonight, not only will it look to extend its
winning streak to four games, the Bruins will be looking to
dispatch a team they know they should. “The Texas win will
not count for anything if we don’t beat Pepperdine,”
Quinn said. What the victory over the Longhorns did count for was a
spot in the national top-25 poll, where the Bruins are currently
ranked No. 25. It’s the first time UCLA has found itself in
the poll rankings since February of 2000, and the Bruins
don’t intend to throw that honor away. But to ensure that
they’re not going anywhere, the Bruins (3-1) know they
can’t look past the Waves (1-4), who in recent years have
given UCLA fits. Though the Bruins lead the all-time series against
Pepperdine 11-2, the Waves have taken the last two meetings by 21
and 22 points respectively. Still, the Bruins are confident there
won’t be a letdown against an inferior Pepperdine team.
“Look at Clemson, they weren’t very good, and we went
out there and killed them,” junior guard Lisa Willis said.
“It’s not going to just be about beating them,
it’s going to be about how much we beat them by.” While
the Bruins’ offense will throw the Triple Threat of Blue,
Quinn and Willis at Pepperdine, UCLA’s defense will most
likely only need to hone in on 6-foot-3 Jennifer Lacy, the only
Wave averaging double digits in points. After Thursday the schedule
will become tougher as the Bruins will host Purdue Sunday at Pauley
Pavilion. But UCLA insists it isn’t looking ahead ““ at
least not consciously. “The coaches have said that our Texas
win means nothing if we don’t beat Purdue … not Purdue, I
meant Pepperdine,” Willis said.
MOVE OVER PACERS: Though they were ready to
take the court at their regular practice time of 12:15 on
Wednesday, the Bruins had to wait for some unexpected visitors to
finish up at Pauley Pavilion. The Indiana Pacers, in town to face
the Los Angeles Clippers, held court Wednesday afternoon, putting
on a show for some of the Bruin players. Still, some weren’t
impressed. “They might need me on the Pacers,” said
Blue, referring to the Pacers depleted roster because of the now
infamous brawl in Detroit. “What they got, eight players? I
can definitely help them out.”
INJURY UPDATE: Blue reinjured her sore right
ankle in Sunday’s game against Texas, and aggravated it
further during practice on Tuesday, prompting the guard to get an
MRI. While the tests did not reveal a torn ligament, Blue was
noticeably hobbling during Wednesday’s practice. “It
hurts, but I can play,” Blue said.