The UCLA women’s basketball team has reached the first stop on coach Nikki Caldwell’s foretold road to glory.
And they looked pretty good in doing so.
With a 70-61 win over Arizona Saturday, the Bruins captured their 22nd win and wrapped up their most successful regular season since 1998-1999. In addition, UCLA captured its 15th conference win of the year, tying a program-high for conference wins in a season.
Caldwell has her squad peaking at the right time. The Bruins have won eight consecutive games, and 12 out of their last 13.
“I think the team has a lot more games to be won,” Caldwell said. “That final destination is that ninth game. You want to get to that final game. But we have the Pac-10 next week, and we want to make sure our focus is on whatever team we may meet.”
In keeping with the theme from Thursday night’s hard-fought victory over Arizona State, the Bruins were forced to work hard to overcome a scrappy, undermanned Arizona squad. On Senior Day, the task of spearheading that effort fell upon the shoulders of senior guard Erica Tukiainen, who poured in 20 points. Tukiainen found her stroke from the 3-point line and drew the Bruins back into the game after falling behind early, and her free throws sealed the win late.
“If you look at what Erica has become, she’s become a very consistent guard for us,” Caldwell said. “She gives us confidence on the perimeter. And if you want a teammate who will always be there for you, she’s that type of person. We call her the team grandma.”
But it was not just the veteran guard that stood out for the Bruins this weekend. With the program honoring those preparing to leave the program, it was the future that was on vivid display against the Wildcats. With UCLA looking to assert itself in the paint after struggling to deal with Arizona’s hot shooting early on, Caldwell turned to sophomore Jasmin Dixon and freshman Markel Walker for production.
Walker contributed 13 points, as well as six rebounds and three steals, but it was Dixon who got the offense going in the second half, helping pull UCLA to a comfortable advantage. They would never relinquish the lead, despite the efforts of Wildcat guards Davellyn Whyte (17 points) and Reiko Thomas (20 points).
“I think that I played exceptional, with the exception of the last couple of games,” Dixon said when asked to assess her season-long performance. “After we noticed that Arizona was hot, we changed up our defense to man to try to keep them from getting off many shots.”
The Bruins had already locked up second place in the conference before Saturday’s game, but the win may help in terms of NCAA seeding. The Pac-10 Tournament tips off next Thursday at the Galen Center. UCLA will be playing the winner of the 7/10 seed game on Friday at 7:15 p.m. The Bruins know that a strong performance there could significantly boost their standing in the eyes of the tournament selection committee.
“I’m excited for the Pac-10 Tournament,” Dixon said. “This will be my first tournament as a college player, and I can’t wait.”
The win over the Wildcats was the last home game in Pauley Pavilion for seniors Tukiainen, Allison Taka and Monique Alexander. Caldwell said she knows that each of them has made her own unique impact on a rising program.
“They’ve made such a big impact,” Caldwell said of her senior players. “We’re going to continue on with their legacy that they’ve left here.”