It was a moment that was designed for a storybook ending.
But it turned out to be staggering heartbreak for the UCLA
women’s basketball team, and they have no choice now but to
look at it through the lens of a tragicomedy.
The Bruins’ 77-73 loss to the Trojans on Saturday threw
their emotions into a flutter, but it ultimately left them with the
stark reality of needing to win their remaining two regular season
games and likely at least one Pac-10 tournament game to make the
NCAA Tournament.
UCLA (15-10, 10-6 Pac-10) had comeback from a 15-point,
second-half deficit against USC (16-9, 10-6) after junior guard
Noelle Quinn drained a 3-pointer to give her team a fragile one
point lead, 73-72, with 49.0 seconds to play. After USC guard
Allison Jaskowiak was fouled driving to the basket and made both
free throw attempts to reclaim a one-point lead, senior guard Nikki
Blue had the ball with 17.5 seconds left in the game.
Blue didn’t just have the ball in her hands on in her last
game in Pauley Pavilion. She was holding the security of the
Bruins’ NCAA Tournament bid in Pauley.
She juked Jaskowiak at the top of the key, creating just enough
separation to make the shot just beyond the free throw line. But
the ball glanced off the rim’s side, and she missed. She came
within a rebound from a triple-double in her last UCLA home game,
but it fell short. As for her final shot at Pauley, Blue
wasn’t prepared to make any excuses.
“It was a very good look,” Blue said. “Good
enough for me to make it.”
After she missed the shot and USC quickly grabbed the rebound
and drew a foul, Blue ran to the sideline and slammed her hands
down on the bench. Maybe it was out of disgust or frustration.
Maybe a little of both.
“The last 10 seconds just didn’t go our way.
Everything was ideal: It was USC, home court, senior day;
everything was set. But I guess the victory just wasn’t meant
to be,” Blue said.
What had the makings of a perfect ending to a legendary Bruin
career at Pauley just wasn’t so. Blue and the rest of her
team now faces the prospect of not making the NCAA Tournament after
a late season surge, winning of five of six, that seemed to put the
Bruins in a secure place. But that would be too boring for a UCLA
club that has a knack for drama, win or lose.
“I guess we wouldn’t be us if we didn’t make
it difficult,” said Blue, who finished with 10 points, 11
assists and nine rebounds. “It’s been like that the
past three years. We just have to be hungry or hungrier.”
Olivier explained after the game that the final play was
designed to have Quinn take the final shot. But the offense broke
down, and Blue had no choice but to create her own opportunity.
USC tied UCLA for fourth place in the conference standings with
the win and ended a skid in which it lost four of six games. The
Trojans are back in postseason contention after being a
quintessential bubble team that was nose-diving at the wrong
time.
“It’s a big win for us because I think it gets us
back into the NCAA Tournament picture,” USC coach Mark Trakh
said. “It was a must win.”
The loss is head-scratching as much as it is heart breaking for
UCLA. The club came into the game playing its best basketball of
the year and in firm control of its own destiny, facing a USC team
that was without forward Jamie Funn and guard Brynn Cameron, two
key contributors.
“We were on a little bit of a roll and maybe we got a tad
bit complacent,” Olivier said.
“We talked about (winning) the last three games all week,
and I told them all week that I thought we had to win all
three,” Olivier said. “Two out of three will still be
right there in the hunt.
“We have got to win one in the tournament now,”
Olivier said.
USC is the only conference team that UCLA hasn’t beaten
this year, but there is a good chance UCLA will have another chance
to beat its crosstown rival in the Pac-10 Tournament next week.
“More than anything it’s just another game, and we
both needed to win the game,” Quinn said. “˜You never
want to lose to USC, but a loss is a loss.”