UCLA women’s basketball coach Kathy Olivier’s nerves
had been pushed to polarizing extremes over the last month. Her
team’s wins and losses over the last month have not been
separated by more than a missed free throw or a last minute lay-up,
which has been the root of some late night restlessness.
But for the first time in quite a while, Olivier could
comfortably watch the closing seconds of the clock run down without
tension overriding the clarity of the win.
The Bruins disposed of the Arizona Wildcats, 90-64, on Saturday
afternoon in a win that was at once dominant as well as
relieving.
“I could breathe a lot easier after this game than our
last few, even the ones we won,” Olivier said. “It was
an important win. It was also a relief to split in Arizona and
still know that we are right where we need to be for the last five
games.”
UCLA (13-9, 8-5 Pac 10) reared out to an early 15-5 lead
manicured by the continued hot shooting of junior guard Noelle
Quinn, who finished the game with a team-high 26 points. Quinn has
now scored at least 20 points in six consecutive games, and has
been her team’s crutch in the final stretch of the year.
However, the Wildcats cut the lead to 19-17 with almost 12
minutes remaining in the first half. The Bruins then put the game
out of reach when Quinn’s sharp shooting became a contagious
phenomenon that had no cure. UCLA went on a 13-0 run that proved to
be insurmountable. They held Arizona scoreless for more than eight
minutes to close out the half, but it was UCLA’s offensive
production that fueled the rally.
The Bruins shot 61.8 percent from the field, their highest
percentage of the year. Perhaps most impressive was their success
from the free throw line, something that has been a nagging problem
over the course of the season. UCLA shot 85 percent from the
charity stripe, considerably higher than its 69 percent season
average.
“Noelle has just been on fire,” said sophomore
forward Lindsey Pluimer, who shot 8-10 from the field to chime in
with 16 points. “Her numbers on the weekend were ridiculous
(56 points over the two games). And everyone just caught on from
there. When one of us gets into rhythm, it sets the tone for the
rest of the team.”
UCLA only padded its 15 points halftime lead, executing in every
facet of the game against a short-handed Arizona (6-16, 3-10) that
had only eight players suited up for action because of various
injuries up and down the roster.
The Bruins out-rebounded the Wildcats, 37-27, and also had more
assists as a team (22) than turnovers (21).
While the victory might have been soothing to Olivier’s
nerves, it was she put it into context as soon as it ended. She
gathered her team in the locker room ad reiterated that the Bruins
are in a “win-out” mindset over the last five
conference games before the Pac 10 tournament.
“We are happy and relieved to leave the desert with a
split,” Olivier said. “The win means that we still
control our own destiny.”