W. BASKETBALL Sunday, 2 p.m. v. Santa Barbara
Pauley Pavilion
It will be deja vu for the UCLA women’s basketball team,
which opens up the regular season against UCSB on Sunday.
But this time, the Bruins are hoping for a different ending.
Last year it was the 1-5 unranked Gauchos who handed the No. 24
Bruins a 9-point overtime loss in Santa Barbara. This weekend, the
No. 23 Bruins face the Gauchos at Pauley, but the revenge factor is
still there.
“Right now my team is pretty intense,” freshman
Moniquee Alexander said. “They want to win and it’s
really rubbing off on the freshmen.”
To prepare for the first game that will count for their record,
the Bruins have been focusing on their defense and staying
disruptive throughout the entire game, something that was a major
key in the second half of their exhibition win last Sunday.
One of the main factors that coach Kathy Olivier will look for
against the Gauchos is the ability to rebound and take advantage of
the Bruins’ size,
A major factor in this respect is Alexander, who will be
expected to carry a big load on the boards for the Bruins.
“As long as I tune into Noelle (Quinn) and listen to her,
I should be good,” Alexander said. “Basically I just
have to dominate the boards.”
Improving on last season’s rebound margin is integral for
the Bruins, whose goal is to outrebound every team by at least
eight to ten, Alexander said.
The starting lineup is not set in stone for Sunday’s
matchup, said Olivier, who tried out several different lineups in
the two exhibition games.
However, finding consistency on the court is not a problem for
the team-first Bruins.
“Our coaches are always forcing a “˜take care of each
other’ (mentality) on the court,” Alexander said.
“Like, if someone screws up a play, don’t get down on
them and stay together. That’s really helped.”
The squad not only has the normal motivation to begin the
season, but against UCSB on Sunday, it will be personal.
“I expect our team to bring intensity,” Alexander
said. “I’m not saying we’re not going to make
mistakes, because every team makes mistakes, but we’re going
to go hard and we’re going to try to dominate
them.”
Starting the season at home instead of on the road will have an
immediate impact for the Bruins. The team expects more students in
attendance than were at the exhibitions, and just having the band
there provides a boost for the team, Olivier said.
Next Thursday the Bruins will travel to Knoxville to take on No.
5 Tennessee. The Vols made the Elite Eight last season and have
outscored their opponents 205-100 in their first two exhibition
games so far.