The sun is beginning to set on Nikki Blue’s and Lisa
Willis’ careers at UCLA. But that doesn’t mean that the
senior guards are ready to see the lights on their season fade to
black.
Blue and Willis have witnessed not only the re-emergence of the
UCLA program, but also the changing perception of their play. Now
the two are on the verge of watching their last games in Pauley
Pavilion pass quickly before their eyes.
Now the guards, who have always exhibited different
personalities on and off the court, have different sentiments about
playing in Pauley for the last time.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long
time,” Willis said. “I am excited about moving on to
something else. It was definitely fun all four years, but I am
ready to move on.”
“For me, it’s not over until it’s over,”
Blue said. “I am going to try and ride it until the wheels
fall off ““ and they aren’t seeming to wobble
yet.”
But with the UCLA women’s basketball team taking on USC at
home on Saturday, Blue and Willis can’t help but fixate on
another memory of their Bruin tenure.
Sitting in the Morgan Center, watching Selection Sunday, and not
hearing UCLA’s name called by the NCAA Tournament
committee.
If nothing else, neither Blue nor Willis wants to experience
that again. So whatever heartstrings may or may not be pulled prior
to the game, the senior guards have their heads on 18 ““ as
in, 18 wins as a magic number that could secure an NCAA Tournament
bid.
“What we’ve learned in the past is that nothing is
ever secure,” Blue said. “Nothing is ever certain. But
Coach always says that 18 is the number that gets you in, so
that’s what we are focused on. Because once we are in, then
everything is open.”
UCLA is going to have to win out to get the coveted 18
victories. However, what once seemed like a stretch is now looking
very possible, if not likely, as the club must beat USC and the
mediocre Oregon schools on the road.
The Bruins (15-9, 9-6 Pac-10) last played the Trojans (15-9,
9-6) on Jan. 21 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The Bruins
overcame a 16-point second-half deficit, but when the game turned
into a foul-shooting contest ““ both teams were in the bonus
with over 10 minutes left due to the 54 fouls called ““ the
Bruins faltered and lost 73-70.
“We didn’t even play, and we were still right there,
which is crazy,” Blue said.
It was a game with big postseason implications, which have only
grown bigger for round two. With a general conception that the
Pac-10 will not get any more than four teams into the NCAA
Tournaments, the winner of Saturday’s game will be watching
Selection Sunday with calmer nerves.
After all, UCLA has to win this game just to split the season
series. USC remains the only conference foe it hasn’t yet
beaten.
“They make it seem like it’s going to be ‘SC
in the tournament or us, so that makes this game huge,”
Willis said. “If we don’t go ““ knock on wood we
do ““ but if not, we definitely don’t want them to
go.”
For all the work UCLA has done to compensate for a lackluster
start to the season, this game could topple all the slowly built
momentum with one swift blow.
“We have done a very good job of getting back to where we
want to be,” UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said. “I think if
we don’t take care of business Saturday, then a lot of our
work would have gone to waste.”
As for Blue and Willis playing their last game at Pauley, their
coach would prefer to see the senior guards reflect only after the
season is over.
“As much as it makes me sad that their time has come to an
end, they are ready to move on to the next stage of their
lives,” Olivier said. “But it’s not there yet.
They have some more games to play.”