UCLA women’s basketball can sense something special is
brewing. The Bruins feel like they are turning the corner, but they
are plagued by one big question.
How can they stop a team with a dominant presence inside the
paint?
Following a 76-63 victory over Clemson in South Carolina, the
No. 23 Bruins have now won four consecutive games after dropping
their first two games, but are still searching for an answer to
that looming question.
They figure they’ll know by the end of tonight when they
take on No. 21 Oklahoma in front of a hostile Sooner crowd.
“We were happy to come here and get the win, but now we
get a chance to really see where we stand,” coach Kathy
Olivier said. “Playing Oklahoma, we’ll have to stop
that one big player in the middle.”
UCLA (4-2), behind the guard trio of Noelle Quinn, Nikki Blue
and Lisa Willis, put away Clemson (2-6) and once again illustrated
that they have little trouble against most teams that feature a
strong perimeter game with an up-tempo style of play.
Facing teams that run and shoot, the Bruins just happen to run
with more fluidity and shoot with greater accuracy. That was the
case against the Tigers on Saturday night.
Clemson opened the second half with a 9-2 run and mounted a
42-38 lead, but UCLA quickly answered back. The Bruins went on a
13-2 run midway through the half to build a double-digit lead that
would not be relinquished.
Quinn paced the team with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists
as she registered her third double-double in six games this
season.
The Bruins were just playing at a higher gear than the Tigers.
Clemson couldn’t keep up on offense, and flustered by the
Bruins’ full court press, committed 25 turnovers.
“I was pleased with the way we played, no doubt about
it,” Olivier said. “But I am going to learn more about
our team from the Oklahoma game than this past one.”
That’s because UCLA is faced with the daunting task of
containing Oklahoma’s Paris twins, the freshmen sensations
out of Piedmont. Center Courtney Paris and power forward Ashley
Paris, standing at 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-3, respectively, challenge
the post play of the Bruins.
UCLA isn’t backing down from the challenge, instead
relishing in the opportunity to finally quiet all the critics who
claim that the team can’t beat teams with elite post
players.