MALIBU “”mdash; Before Thursday night’s game, women’s
basketball coach Kathy Olivier wondered how her team would respond
after an enormous win.
She got her answer: sluggish.
Despite a first half in which No. 25 UCLA committed 13 turnovers
and allowed Pepperdine (1-4) to stay close, the Bruins turned a
29-27 halftime lead into a 74-61 rout.
“I think we definitely had a bit of a letdown after the
victory against Texas,” UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said.
“But the girls got together in the second half and played
like they knew they could.”
The Bruins’ infamous full-court press, which caused 20
Waves turnovers, was the key for the Bruins during their
second-half run.
Sophomore Noelle Quinn and freshman Lindsey Pluimer combined for
42 points as the press opened up many opportunities in the open
court for easy baskets.
“We just needed to come out and play our game,”
Quinn said.
That game was missing in the first half, as the Bruins (4-1) let
a 25-11 lead slip to two points by halftime.
Bruin guards Lisa Willis and Nikki Blue both got into foul
trouble with two fouls each. And without Blue, their veteran point
guard on the bench, the Bruins found themselves looking for
answers.
“We feel that we are more than our five starters and that
we have role players coming off the bench,” Olivier said.
“Unfortunately, they were not able to step up
today.”
For a team that had just cracked the top-25, the subpar first
half was considered a large disappointment.
“I didn’t think (a letdown) would become a
issue,” Olivier said. “But the girls played their
hearts out in that match.”
The Bruins were led by Pluimer, who scored a career-high 22
points in the game, all the while matching up against the
Waves’ leading scorer Jennifer Lacy.
It was Pluimer’s second-consecutive opportunity going
against a physical inside presence, and she did an admirable job,
grabbing five rebounds while limiting Lacy to 16 points.
“The coaches just prepare us for what to expect, and we
follow the plan,” Pluimer said. “My teammates help me
out the most, especially Amanda (Livingston).”
Livingston was instrumental for the Bruins in the key, recording
seven offensive rebounds and taking the brunt of the physical play
inside.
More efforts from Livingston and Pluimer like the ones they
produced Thursday night will be needed, especially with
Sunday’s showdown with No. 14 Purdue looming.
This time, the Bruins know they’ll need to avoid another
first-half letdown.