It’s a place where hoop dreams go to perish, where
postseason hopes go to waste. McArthur Court, or more
affectionately known to opposing teams as The Pit, has given Oregon
the best home-court advantage in the Pac-10, causing headaches and
frustrations for those daring enough to try to conquer it. That is,
unless, you are the UCLA women’s basketball team. Then
it’s easy as cake. The Bruins (12-6, 6-3 Pac-10) will head up
to Eugene, Ore., tonight looking to make it three straight
victories over the Ducks (12-6, 5-4) in their own pond. The gym is
anticipated to be jam-packed, the atmosphere raucous and the
verbiage nasty ““ and UCLA women’s basketball coach
Kathy Olivier is expecting her team to revel in it. “The
atmosphere in there is the best in the Pac-10,” Olivier said.
“But our team gets up playing in that kind of atmosphere. Our
team loves that kind of stuff.” While last year Olivier
prepped her team for The Pit by blaring loud simulated noise during
the Bruins’ practices at Pauley Pavilion, this season she
simply implemented a system of hand signals, feeling confident her
team is mature enough to handle the intense, noisy environment. Yet
for two Bruins, this will be their first taste of what is
considered the toughest place to play in the conference. Freshmen
Lindsey Pluimer and Lauren Pedersen, both of whom are expected to
start, will be asked to maintain their composure and poise in the
face of several thousand screaming Ducks fans. “With Lindsey,
I don’t even think of her as a freshman. … She’ll be
fine,” Olivier said. “For Lauren, she’s going to
have to tune into her teammates and make sure she keeps her
focus.” Tonight’s matchup will be the second and final
scheduled meeting of the year between UCLA and Oregon. Back on Jan.
4, the Bruins ran the Ducks off the court in the second half,
scoring a 70-54 victory. This time in Eugene, Olivier is expecting
Oregon to be able to dictate a slow and bruising tempo a bit more
effectively, but still hopes her team can get out and push the
ball. “At home, teams play a lot differently,” Olivier
said. “I hope our defense generates our offense. But the
second time around, it’s hard to do.”
AIRPORT GREETING: When the Bruins get off the plane today,
they’ll be welcomed by a familiar face and a familiar song.
In 10 of Olivier’s 11 seasons at the Bruins’ helm, UCLA
super-fan Clyde Baxter has greeted her teams off the plane, boom
box in hand, playing “Sons of Westwood.” Not only does
Baxter wait in the baggage claim to blare the familiar tone, he
waits outside of UCLA’s hotel, never allowing his finger to
waver too far away from the play button. Olivier doesn’t
exactly know why Baxter has taken a liking to her team, but she
surely appreciates the support in hostile territory. “I think
he loves being the only fan screaming in the land of Ducks,”
Olivier said. “Needless to say, he’s a big fan.”
The one year he missed? Baxter underwent triple bypass surgery just
prior to UCLA’s game against Oregon, and he could not make it
to the airport.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Injured sophomore Noelle Quinn has begun
rehabilitation for her torn meniscus and is still expected to be
out for four more weeks. Quinn, who missed the trip to the Bay Area
this past weekend, will accompany the team on its trip to Oregon.
“We need her presence, even if it’s not on the
court,” Olivier said.