For the UCLA women’s basketball team’s 2009-2010 campaign, it’s been so far, so good.
The Bruins (9-4, 2-0) opened their Pac-10 conference schedule with two substantially large road wins this past weekend, pulling off a comeback victory over Arizona on Friday, 67-58, and dominating then-No. 17 Arizona State, 74-56, on Sunday.
But according to coach Nikki Caldwell, probably more important than beating a ranked team was the fact that her young Bruins are 2-0 in conference and have gained some much-needed road experience.
“I think it’s a great testament to our kids learning and being able to win on the road,” Caldwell said after Tuesday’s practice. “In our non-conference schedule we didn’t fare as well. We had three losses on the road. But what it did show our staff is that our kids are capable, and they know how to do it.”
Unlike the win over Arizona State, a game that UCLA controlled throughout, the Bruins were tested at Arizona, as the Wildcats went up by 12 in the first half and held a seven-point lead midway through the second half. But Caldwell is confident that her team may have turned over a new leaf in that game by not quitting in the face of adversity.
“They know we got to make big plays down the stretch, and I thought that they really committed to not giving up, even when we were down by 12 at Arizona,” Caldwell said.
Probably the brightest spots over the weekend were the play of sophomore guard Jasmine Dixon and freshman forward Markel Walker. Sunday against the Sun Devils, both Dixon and Walker had career highs in points: Walker racked up 24, and Dixon added 21. In addition to combining for 45 points, they also totaled 18 rebounds.
And Caldwell is not shy in expressing her excitement over her young duo and what they will bring to the Bruins’ program in years to come.
“They’re both rookies,” Caldwell said. “They haven’t even logged a full year. But just based on their versatility they just do a really good job of giving us that impact presence that we so desperately need.”
So far on the season, the Bruins’ nine wins have come by an average of 13.6 points, but that may not necessarily be a good thing. UCLA hasn’t won by less than nine but have lost by six, five and one, to go along with a 14-point loss to Tennessee in a game that the Bruins led at half.
Long story short, UCLA has had trouble winning the close games. But Caldwell is confident that this Bruin team has the ability to win the close game, especially after witnessing her squad’s effort over this past weekend.
“We’ve been really focusing on having quality possessions,” Caldwell said. “I’m really proud of the fact that these young ladies have decided to buy into the system.”
As for earning their first win over a ranked team in their third attempt on the season, it is certainly viable that Caldwell’s team has the potential to crack the nation’s top 25. But according to Caldwell, there is only one list they need to crack by season’s end …
“We just need to crack the top 64 and be there when they call our names on that bracket.”