USC game will be pivotal

As February drones on and the Pac-10 season draws to a close, the UCLA women’s basketball team finds itself being pushed to the brink of tournament contention. With rival USC invading Pauley Pavilion this Sunday, the time to push back is now.

UCLA (13-11, 8-5 Pac-10) will square off with USC (15-9, 8-5) in a game that is both a battle for fourth place in the conference standings, and a rematch of the 64-56 thriller earlier in the season, won by the Trojans.

“This will be a tournament type of a game,” coach Kathy Olivier said. “The last game was evenly played and intense.”

The previous game featured some high drama in the closing moments, as an elbow by USC’s Allison Jaskowiak to the face of senior Lindsey Pluimer caused the benches to empty. Three UCLA players were ejected from that game, as well as one Trojan. Lingering emotions from the incident should only heighten the competitive atmosphere on Sunday, in what looks to be a must-win game for the Bruins.

“What happened at the end of that game was not acceptable,” Olivier said. “It is something that won’t happen again. This is a very competitive rivalry that got a little escalated down the stretch.”

With 11 losses on the season, it is likely that UCLA will have to sweep the rest of its games in order to be considered for the NCAA tournament.

If the Bruins are to snap the Trojan’s six-game winning streak in the series, they will have to shut down USC’s perimeter-oriented attack. Led by guard Camille LeNoir’s savvy play, including dazzling behind-the-back passes, the Trojans torched UCLA from outside in the first meeting, hitting eight 3-pointers en route to a 21-point lead before UCLA’s rally.

The Bruins will also look to avoid the sloppy ballhandling that led to 20 turnovers and easy buckets for the Trojans.

“USC did a great job of switching defenses. We need to do a better job of taking care of the ball,” Olivier said. “It’s about playing smart basketball.”

It will help that freshman point guard Darxia Morris will be in action after sitting out of the first contest with a knee injury. She is looking forward to the challenge of facing off with a bitter rival.

“With Darxia, it’s still day by day,” Olivier said. “She’s excited about Sunday and wants to be there for her teammates. She is a big complement to our team.”

For Pluimer, the team’s leading scorer, Sunday’s contest represents one last chance to knock off USC, an opportunity every Bruin craves.

“Pluimer has been nothing but excellent all four years,” Olivier said. “This last game with USC is big for her because she’s worked so hard.”

Last week, Pluimer was named the conference player of the week. She is fifth in the Pac-10 in scoring, at 14.8 points per game. Despite all the accolades, she appears solidly focused on leading UCLA into the postseason.

“She understands the importance of this game,” Olivier said.

After a tough loss at USC, the Bruins are sure to be ready for a friendly home crowd. Fans will be out in full force Sunday afternoon, including participants in the “I’m Going to College” program. In an attempt to boost student attendance for the game, pizza is being offered to the early-comers. All in all, Olivier expects a tremendous atmosphere at Pauley Pavilion.

“We’re very excited about all of the fans. The students are extremely loud and help us,” Olivier said.

The 1978 UCLA women’s championship squad will be honored during the game as well.

“These are the women who paved the way for our players,” Olivier said. “It’s an honor to have the greats back at Pauley.”

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