The UCLA women’s basketball team hoped to add two wins to
its record this weekend against the Oregon schools, but fell short
on Thursday. Oregon (12-9, 4-7 Pac-10) handed UCLA (12-12, 6-6) a
76-60 loss at McArthur Court.
Despite a career performance from junior forward Lindsey
Pluimer, the Bruins were not able to contain the Ducks’
strong free-throw shooting and outstanding guard play.
In the first half of the game, the teams remained even, with
Oregon’s biggest lead at five points.
Neither team shot the ball extremely well, but the game was able
to stay close with average shooting, UCLA coach Kathy Olivier
said.
At halftime, the Ducks had a 34-30 advantage.
“I thought in the first half we went
back-and-forth,” Pluimer said. “It just shows that
every possession is very important to the game.”
The Ducks came out hot in the second half as the momentum
shifted in their favor.
One of the keys to the Ducks’ win was that they made 22
out of 23 free throws. In the 10th minute, Oregon’s freshman
guard Taylor Lilley sank two free throws to give her team a
10-point lead. These were the first of the Ducks’ 18
successful free throws in the second half.
“They just really hit their free throws and every shot was
going in,” Pluimer said. “They just played really well
at their home court, and it’s our responsibility to challenge
them defensively and stop them when they are on a roll.”
Another key for Oregon was sophomore point guard Tamika Nurse.
Nurse finished with 22 points and five assists.
She also made all 10 of her free throws. With all the time taken
for free-throw shooting, the Bruins were not able to find any type
of rhythm.
“(The Ducks) didn’t miss a lot of shots and they
went to the free-throw line a lot, which means that we were not
able to get any transition flow offensively,” Olivier
said.
The Bruins tried to quicken the game’s tempo, but Oregon
came prepared. The Ducks played with patience offensively, working
the ball around the court and waiting to get good looks for
baskets.
Despite the loss, Pluimer had a career night, scoring the
1,000th point of her career. She had 13 points and six rebounds.
The Bruins’ top scorer was senior guard Noelle Quinn, who
finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
“Noelle and Pluimer have been very consistent all year.
For Plum, I can’t say enough positive things. She has been
shooting the ball well this year and averaging double
figures,” Olivier said.
The Bruins face Oregon State on Saturday. Pluimer said the
players realize they need to stick together at this point in the
season and bring intensity to every game.
“Right now it’s do or die, and it’s on to us
and our responsibility to step up and play the best basketball that
we can play,” she said.
The Bruins dropped a four-point contest to Oregon State when the
Beavers visited Pauley Pavilion in early January.
The Beavers currently sit in eighth place in the Pac-10 with a
3-8 conference record. The Bruins are sixth at 6-6 against Pac-10
opponents.