Doreena Campbell beat the buzzer with a 3-point shot, but it hardly mattered. It was a lukewarm conclusion to a disappointing night for the UCLA women’s basketball team, which fell 59-58 to Texas Tech Friday night at Pauley Pavilion.
It was, according to UCLA coach Nikki Caldwell, an uninspired effort, one that was marked with a series of untimely turnovers and more than a few close misses. The Bruins were unable to capitalize on their chance for a marquee home win over a big-name opponent, and the players came away from their performance feeling as if they had let one get away.
“We didn’t come out ready to play,” junior point guard Campbell said after Friday’s game. “Maybe we didn’t focus enough in warm-ups, maybe we let them grab the momentum. But Texas Tech came out ready to play and we didn’t. We weren’t focused at all.”
The night did not start well for the home team. The Lady Raiders’ senior guard Jordan Murphree hit a 3-pointer just after the opening tip. It was a shot that would set the tone for the rest of the night for both the visitors and Murphree, who would lead all scorers with 22 points. UCLA spent most of the game clawing to remain close to the Texas Tech players, whose hot shooters kept the pressure on the Bruin defense. Meanwhile, UCLA’s offense struggled to gain any sense of rhythm, turning the ball over seven times in the first seven minutes of play.
“We have got to take better care of the basketball,” Caldwell said. “You aren’t going to have offense like that whether you are home or away. That hurt us.”
While the Bruin defense played solid overall, players struggled to contain the Lady Raiders’ perimeter scorers, especially Murphree, who hit four 3-pointers. Texas Tech hit nine from beyond the arc, most of which stopped a collection of UCLA rallies.
“We needed to do a better job of identifying who is hot and do a better job of stopping her,” Campbell said.
UCLA trailed for much of the game and took its first lead with just more than seven minutes left in the game. With the Bruins up 51-50, Texas Tech rallied with a 3-point shot by senior guard Tilmila Martin to go back up 53-51, a lead that they would never relinquish.
The most surprising development of the night came after the half-time break. The Bruins came out of the locker much earlier than they customarily do to run shooting drills. Following the horn, Caldwell sent in the second team as the starters rested on the bench. It was a move designed to reignite the Bruins’ offensive and defensive spark, and the team was in support of the unconventional move.
“The idea behind it was they deserved it,” Caldwell said. “I liked the energy of that second group. I just felt like they played harder and wanted it more. I was very disappointed in our starters’ lack of intensity. No one stepped up and accepted that challenge.”
Campbell, a starting point guard, understood the motivation behind Caldwell’s decision.
“They brought us back,” Campbell said. “You know what? We didn’t come out strong so we didn’t deserve to start the second half.”
There were a few bright spots in the game. Sophomore forward Jasmine Dixon, starting her second game after transferring a year ago, put in another solid performance with 14 points. Her presence brought an increased emphasis on getting the ball into the paint on offense and gave UCLA an additional rebounder.
“This game is gone, so we have to learn from this loss and make it a positive,” Dixon said. “What I’m contributing isn’t enough, so I’m going to bust it even more in practice.”
Fan favorite Allison Taka made her first appearance of the season after suffering from a foot injury. The senior guard’s entrance in the first half drew a loud cheer from the crowd, the band and the Bruins’ bench.
“It was great to see her playing,” Campbell said. “She gave it her all, and that’s all we could ask for. If we all played like Allison did, we would have won this game.”