With defense like this, who needs offense?
The UCLA women’s basketball team rebounded from last weekend’s humiliating home loss to USC with a gritty 55-52 victory at Oregon State on Thursday night. After struggling mightily on the offensive end against the Trojans, the Bruins relied on solid defense to get the job done in Corvallis, Ore. A few converted free throws didn’t hurt either.
After falling behind by 7 points with 3:31 to go, UCLA (14-12, 9-6 Pac-10) stormed back, converting at the foul line to tie the game at 51 with one minute remaining. After an Oregon State free throw, Tierra Henderson was fouled with seven seconds remaining. She made the front end of a 1-and-1 but missed the second shot. Freshman Regina Rogers secured the rebound, converted a put-back and cemented one of the season’s gutsiest wins.
“We kept our heads up, kept our composure and played with great team energy,” coach Kathy Olivier said. “We put all the bad things behind us and played with a maturity that was successful.”
As she has done most of the year, Lindsey Pluimer stepped up in a big way, carrying the Bruins on the offensive end with 17 points. It was the second consecutive game that has seen UCLA struggle to convert opportunities on offense. The senior leader was there to provide just enough firepower.
“Down the stretch we really executed well and made our free throws,” Pluimer said. “That was huge. A win always feels great, and we were hungry.”
One key to stopping the Beavers (10-17, 3-13 Pac-10) was neutralizing the offensive threat of freshman Beaver guard Talisa Rhea, a sharpshooter from the outside. UCLA’s perimeter defense was up to the task Thursday night, holding Rhea to just six points, both on two 3-pointers.
“Our defense is the biggest focus of our team,” Pluimer said. “Overall, we did a great job.”
With the win, the Bruins remain in the hunt for fourth place in the conference, a position USC currently holds. For now, however, the primary focus is on capitalizing on Thursday’s win and carrying that momentum into Eugene, Ore., on Saturday against Oregon. After a tough week of practice, the Bruins feel up to the task.
“Our team needed to be challenged,” Pluimer said. “Someone needed to get on us, and (Olivier) did a good job of doing that in practice. She drilled us this week.”
For her part, Olivier was pleased with the overall toughness exhibited by her squad.
“Everyone played a role; even the bench players were getting into it,” Olivier said. “Tonight was all about finding a way to win.”