In a perfect world, teams could bring full intensity to every
game, no matter the stakes.
Even though that does not happen in reality, even for the best
teams, one can expect the women’s basketball team to bring
the heat Saturday against USC (9-7, 3-3 Pac-10).
What is on the line is enough to make this matchup the biggest
game of the conference season so far for both teams.
Both teams are 3-3 in conference, this will be the last game at
Pauley for Bruin seniors, and a UCLA win would snap a three-game
skid against USC.
Senior Noelle Quinn has no intention of letting that streak
continue on Saturday, which would drop the Bruins (9-9, 3-3 Pac-10)
to under .500 in conference.
“More than anything, this is an important game for
positioning in the Pac-10,” Quinn said. “Besides all
the extra stuff, we really need to win.”
For the Bruin seniors, this game will be an important chance to
get revenge on a team that has beaten them by a total of 10 points
in their past three matchups.
“Because it’s a crosstown rival and because
they’ve beat us the past three times, we owe them
something,” senior Amanda Livingston said. “Especially
for us seniors, it’s the last time we’re playing
‘SC here at home. I know all of us will be at the top of our
game. We’re going to bring it. We’re going to leave it
all out on the floor.”
For many of the Bruins, this game will carry a more personal
significance than simply a rivalry game. Players on both teams
often play with and against each other in leagues during the
summer.
Quinn has played alongside Trojan guard Eshaya Murphy for the
past two summers, including winning the league this past year. She
has also known forward Jamie Funn since they were little, playing
on the same club teams, and played against point guard Jamie Hagiya
in high school.
“I could go down the list of their entire team,”
Quinn said. “We know each other just from growing up and
playing basketball all the time. I love those girls. I have a lot
of respect for them as people, but between these lines and between
USC and UCLA, there’s always that rivalry.”
Coach Kathy Olivier understands the importance of the rivalry,
which is still friendly even on the court for many players.
“It’s the Clipper-Laker thing,” Olivier said.
“It’s that bragging right. It’s a friendly but
very competitive competition going on on Saturday. The thing is,
every game’s been close. It’s come down to free throws
or the last possession and things like that. Hopefully we can have
bragging rights for a while because we’re overdue to take
care of some business.”
For Livingston, the rivalry is about more than the two
basketball teams.
“It’s also a pride thing for our school,”
Livingston said. “We’ve got to represent not only our
school but our team and the other sports teams, and all the people
that are fans. It should be a really fun game.”