PULLMAN, Wash. “”mdash; Over the river and through the woods, over mountains and deep into sparsely populated nature the Bruins went.
They came out with a key victory.
The UCLA women’s basketball team made the long trek to eastern Washington on Saturday afternoon, emerging with a 76-56 win over Washington State. The victory is the fourth in five games for coach Kathy Olivier’s Bruins (9-8, 4-2 Pac-10), who climbed over .500 after sweeping through the Evergreen State.
It would turn out that the journey to Pullman itself would be the toughest part of facing the Cougars (3-13, 0-5 Pac-10). The Bruins stormed out to a 56-23 halftime lead, fueled by spectacular defensive pressure and a balanced offensive attack that saw four players hit double figures.
“This feels great,” said freshman guard Nina Earl, who led UCLA with 18 points and had just one turnover. “We really needed a win here.”
UCLA, which has looked much improved since the start of conference play, is now in fourth place in the conference. Their only two conference losses thus far have come to the two top teams, Arizona State and No. 9 California.
“This was a very good weekend for us,” said Olivier, whose team swept a conference road trip for the first time since beating the Oregon schools in 2006. “I think this team has really picked it up, and it’s nice to come out of here with two wins.”
“We knew we had to come out here and get a sweep,” Earl said. “That was our mind-set. Get a sweep.”
Bucking a recent trend, the Bruins were able to hold an early lead, and they cruised to their first lopsided game in weeks.
“My feet don’t hurt as much,” Olivier said. “Usually in a close game, I’m stomping around.”
The wide point margin allowed for Olivier to empty her bench, garnering minutes for players who see little playing time, including Alexis Olivier, the coach’s daughter, who scored her first career points in the closing minutes.
“It was great for the team,” Olivier said. “Each player is a big part of what we do, in practice and in games.”
Going into the weekend, they key for the Bruins would be to find a replacement for freshman point guard and budding leader Darxia Morris, who was out for the weekend with a knee sprain.
No problem.
Freshman Doreena Campbell, who has run the point throughout parts of the season, ran the show admirably, distributing the ball well and pitching in an 11-point, 3-assist effort. Earl, though, was the scoring star.
“Our defense made a lot of the offense for me,” Earl said, referencing the on-ball pressure that created several fast-break opportunities. “When we communicate, we’re such a good basketball team.”
The UCLA defense, which is blossoming under Olivier this season, continued its recent stellar performance, limiting Washington State to 30 percent shooting on the afternoon.
“We made a lot of changes, showed a lot of different options,” said Olivier of the defensive scheme. “Our team works so hard, but we can still work on some things.”
The long trip to Pullman provided time for the team to bond, especially with the cramped space on the airplane from Seattle.
“I don’t like small airplanes,” Earl said. “I’m going to be glad when I get back on the ground.”
“The trip wasn’t as bad as some others I’ve made up here,” Olivier said. “It is cold though.”