One word used to describe the upcoming second half of the Pac-10 season is “heart.”
With nine conference games remaining, each Pac-10 women’s basketball team is battling for a spot in the upper portion of the standings. As UCLA (10-11, 4-5 Pac-10) prepares to host Washington and Washington State this weekend, the Bruins are also gearing up for an increase in the level of competition.
“It’s all about determination,” senior guard Noelle Quinn said. “Everyone is trying to get to the Pac-10 tournament. It’s all about heart.”
According to Quinn, playing teams a second time is like “playing the back of your hand.” By now, UCLA is aware of the other teams’ strengths and weaknesses. The Bruins are familiar with their opponents’ plays and defenses and have a grasp on how well they match up.
Any questions the team might have had about new opposing players have also been answered. A couple of teams have had freshmen or junior college transfers effectively impact their seasons.
Cal’s starting freshman guard Lauren Greif stands out. She has started every game for the Bears and is averaging 8.9 points per game.
“I was wondering how she was going to do in the Pac-10 and she had a very good first round,” UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said. “There are a lot of new faces helping their teams be successful.”
UCLA has some freshmen players of their own who have surprised Olivier in a positive way.
Freshman forward/guard Erica Latimer has been able to make things happen on defense, while freshman center Moniquee Alexander has been increasing her productivity for the team in points and rebounds.
Senior guard Shaina Zaidi ““ in addition to the returning starters Quinn, Lindsey Pluimer and senior forward Amanda Livingston ““ has stepped up to lead the team.
“I knew that (Zaidi) was capable. She’s playing with confidence and playing a very large role for us and enjoying that,” Olivier said.
After finishing the first half of the Pac-10 season 4-5, the Bruins know of the challenges that lie ahead.
Oliver says she expects the road trip to Northern California to face Stanford and Cal in late February to be especially difficult.
Stanford and Cal are currently the first and third place teams in the Pac-10, respectively.
Another game the team is looking forward to playing again is the one against second-place Arizona State. In the most lopsided game of the season, the Bruins had been unable to contain the Sun Devils in a 92-52 loss.
“ASU worked us at their place. They were hitting everything,” Olivier said.
Going into each game is like a new beginning for the Bruins.
The players take the matches one at a time, with the motto of going 1-0 after every game.
While the team breaks down the season using a partial approach, there is one rematch that seems to be marked on their calendars.
“Of course we’d love to get back at ‘SC, but for now we’re just focusing on each game and taking it one step at a time,” junior forward Lindsey Pluimer said. UCLA fell to USC 75-72 earlier this month.
Even though the Bruins had trouble beating opponents in the season’s first matchups, the team expects to see improvements this time around.
“Since I’ve been around, we’ve always been a second-half type of team,” Quinn said.
In order to reach these improvements, Olivier stresses the importance of sharpening the team’s defensive skills.
She says that if the team is able to keep opponents’ scoring under 55 points, then the Bruins will be capable of winning most games because they are capable of scoring.
“It’s bothersome that we are not more effective on defense,” Olivier said. “We have to make more pride on not letting someone score on “˜me.'”
As UCLA competes for its spot in the Pac-10 Tournament, the team understands that every game for the rest of the season is important.
As Quinn noted, “It’s crunch time right now.”