Tuesday, January 19, 1999
Undefeated Bruin team usurps Cardinal reign in tough match
RECAP: Cooperation, forced turnovers give UCLA shot to end
Stanford’s home winning streak
By A. CinQue Carter
Daily Bruin Staff
PALO ALTO — Tenth-ranked UCLA has finally arrived. And unranked
Stanford is searching for answers.
The four-time defending Pacific 10 Conference Champion Cardinal,
which has won nine of the last 10 titles, has finally passed the
torch to a different school, if only for the moment.
The UCLA women’s basketball team improved to 14-4 overall and
6-0 in the Pac-10 with an 80-72 victory over Stanford on Saturday.
The victory ended the Cardinal’s nearly eight-year streak of home
dominance.
Exactly 68 games after Washington won at Stanford in February of
1991, the Cardinal’s streak finally ran out of gas.
"Finally," Bruin coach Kathy Olivier exclaimed. "It’s about
time. I think our team did a great job. I’ve got to give our team
credit. This team’s focused. We’ve done a lot of positive things as
a team. This team deserves it. They’re great players and great
people."
Also, the Bruins had lost nine straight to the Cardinal (7-9,
3-2 Pac-10) and had not won at Maples since March 12, 1988.
On the other hand, Stanford now has to face the prospect of not
actually making the NCAA tournament. Only one team from each
conference gets an automatic bid. The Bruins are the only
undefeated team in the Pac-10, and also the only ranked team.
"This has been a long time coming," Bruin junior center Janae
Hubbard said. "While we are pleased with the victory, we are not
surprised by it. We work hard and our efforts are paying off."
With Hubbard in early foul trouble again and the Bruins trailing
43-42 at the 13:07 mark of the second half, sophomore guard
LaCresha Flannigan nailed a three-pointer to give the Bruins a lead
a two-point cushion.
The Cardinal would tie the game at 45, but Flannigan went on a
rampage. She added four free throws, two steals and a layup, and
suddenly the Bruins were up 55-52. The reigning Pac-10 Player of
the Week had 11 of the Bruins’ 13 points in that run.
The crowd was silenced, the Cardinal was stunned and the tables
had turned.
"They made key fast-break baskets in the transition," Stanford
coach Tara VanDerveer said of UCLA. "They got it deep into their
post players and finished. Their experienced post players took it
to our semi-experienced post players."
Martin led the Bruin attack with 20 points, seven boards, four
steals and three assists. Flannigan finished with 15 points, four
steals and two rebounds. Hubbard dropped in 11 and grabbed six
boards and Marie Philman had 14 points and two steals.
UCLA forced Stanford into a season-high 27 turnovers, seven by
Yamasaki who finished with a game-high nine boards.
"Those turnovers absolutely cooked us in the second half,"
VanDerveer said.
UCLA jumped out to a 9-2 lead, relinquished it and trailed at
the half 27-30.
"We seemed to answer all their runs," Olivier concluded.
"Our players feel like they’ve paid their dues. We’re 6-0 in the
Pac-10, and that’s all that really matters."
Comments, feedback, problems?
© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]