While the women’s basketball team’s bid for the Women’s National Invitation Tournament was automatic, it’s passage into the second round was far from it.
UCLA defeated Cal State Bakersfield Thursday night in the first round of the tournament 70-54.
The Bruins (14-18, 8-10 Pac-12) began and ended the game with shutdown defense and a poised offense, but in between, UCLA struggled under pressure. In the second half, the Roadrunners (23-9, 11-3 Western Athletic Conference) cut a 20-point UCLA lead to seven, forcing turnovers and upsetting the Bruins’ rhythm with a full-court press.
Coach Cori Close said she was disappointed by her team’s missed layups, turnovers and intensity.
“I thought we were careless and we weren’t tough enough with the ball,” Close said. “We ended up ball-watching way too much and made poor decisions with the ball.”
The Bruins committed 16 turnovers in the second half after allowing eight in the first. Ten of them came during a 5:30, 16-3 run by the Roadrunners in the second half.
“When another team makes a run, we need to learn how to settle ourselves and figure out ways to compete and win in pressurized situations,” Close said.
The key to settling down fell into the hands of junior guard Nirra Fields. She said the transition from careless to in control came when she slowed down the ball and encouraged her team to calm down.
“OK, let’s set something up, take our time, and let’s get something executed out of our offense,” Fields said.
The Bruins finished without allowing a point in the final 5:49 of the game.
Fields said that as a young team, UCLA hasn’t learned that slowing down the game and taking a few moments to calm down is a better response to pressure than racing back down the court.
Fields led the team with 26 points and 11 rebounds, and freshman forward Lajahna Drummer posted her first career double-double scored, with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Drummer, who went to the free throw line the most for the Bruins, said that her mindset during the game was to be aggressive in the post.
“I was just trying to pursue the ball and go as hard as I can for my team,” Drummer said. “I think I’m getting better at it and I think there’s more time for improvement.”
UCLA outrebounded CSUB 56-34 but only managed 15 second-chance points on 24 offensive boards. Close attributed the missed opportunities to poor passing and simply missing the easy shots.
The Bruins will travel south to face the University of San Diego Sunday afternoon in the next round. They will have little time to prepare, but Thursday’s game offered plenty of learning opportunities for the Bruins.