Road wins aren’t exactly undervalued in college
basketball. But this one carried a little extra weight ““ it
was one that the UCLA women’s basketball team had to
have.
UCLA defeated Oregon State 72-59 in Corvallis, Ore. on Thursday
night, in a game that started at a sluggish pace but got going in
the second half. The Bruins (16-10, 11-6 Pac-10) distanced
themselves from the Beavers (12-13, 6-11) as the pace picked up. It
was one of the few instances this season in which the Bruins have
finished strong on the road. It was also the most production
they’ve received from their bench in weeks.
But details are of little consequence right now. UCLA has more
than enough self-inflicted wounds, and it can’t stop to
speculate on the damage. The losses have added up somehow, and UCLA
needs to find a way to get to at least 17 wins ““ a number
that is earmarked as the cutoff for NCAA Tournament bubble teams.
The squad has only one regular-season game left, on Saturday
afternoon against Oregon, before the conference tournament.
“It was a win. Right now, that’s what I care
about,” UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said. “We’re at
a point where results are what matters. Just keep winning, and turn
to the next game. That’s the mentality.”
UCLA, up by only five points at the half against a team that
dwells near the bottom of the conference standings, was able to set
a quicker tempo in the second half that suits its
run-‘n’-gun style and clashes with Oregon State’s
methodical and physical game.
The Bruins earned only their third road victory of the season,
and they’ll be counting on their fourth come Saturday.
“It was nice because we’ve choked on the road this
year,” Quinn said. “There are games we’ve let
slip away on the road or just not played to our ability. This last
road trip can’t be like that.”
“We controlled the game in second half. It’s not
something we have done a lot on the road this year, so it is really
nice to have it happen now,” Olivier said.
Senior guard Lisa Willis set the tone for the Bruins, starting
the game with a pair of steals and matching 3-pointers. Willis had
struggled mightily recently, especially against USC when she missed
her first 10 field-goal attempts.
“Lisa is such a competitor,” Olivier said.
“The USC game just got her extra focused this week, and she
wants to finish her career the right way.”
As UCLA closed out its win, Washington was drubbed by No. 11
Stanford, 100-69, in Palo Alto and USC eked out a 69-64 win over
Oregon in Eugene, Ore. The aftermath is a logjam in the Pac-10
standings. The Bruins, Huskies and Trojans are all tied for third
place.
“This whole thing won’t be decided until the Pac-10
Tournament,” Olivier said. “But Oregon is next, and
they aren’t rolling (out) the carpet for us.”