The stadium was silent. Fans whispered on the other side of the arena as medical staff attended to freshman guard Jordin Canada.
Defending a fast break in the first half and trailing by 10 points, the nation’s top 2014 point guard recruit leaped for the block, but UC Riverside redshirt senior guard Dynese Adams stayed grounded. Canada soared through the air and came down hard on her upper body. She would leave the game with lower back pain.
Following Canada’s injury, the Bruin bench rallied, and UCLA (2-4) ultimately defeated UC Riverside (5-3) 57-43 Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion.
After the scary moment involving Canada in the first half, the Bruins took control and never let go. Following Canada’s exit, the Bruins went on a 40-15 run lasting more than 20 minutes.
Coach Cori Close said that the team’s response represented the strength of its off-court chemistry and dedication to their “sisterhood” for the first time this season.
“The only way we really protect (Canada) is we step up and we play together,” Close said. “It was a direct emotional connection to their commitment to each other as people first.”
After allowing UC Riverside to shoot about 58 percent in the first half, UCLA held its counterpart to just 20 percent in the second half.
Close credited the major swing on the defensive end to assistant coach Jenny Huth. Close said that the Bruins were trying to pressure the Highlanders like they did the Nebraska Cornhuskers, speeding them up so they couldn’t run their offense effectively. However, the Highlanders were not fazed, extending their lead to 10 before Canada’s injury. According to Close, Huth saw that an adjustment was needed after Canada’s exit, and suggested a new game plan.
“’Let’s just hunker down, use our size, force one hard shot, and if they want to run the clock all the way down, so be it,’” Close said of Huth’s explanation of the needed adjustment.
The UCLA offense also surged immediately following Canada’s exit. Freshman guard Recee’ Caldwell, Canada’s best friend on the team, stepped into her teammate’s role as the head of the offense and posted career highs with 10 points and nine assists. The freshman guard attributed her on-court achievements to the play of the Bruins’ front court.
“Our bigs get all of the credit because they did a great job pinning the ceiling,” said Caldwell. “(They were) the easiest passes I’ve made this whole season and they delivered.”
The Bruins dominated down low and were deadly from close range. Twenty-eight of their 57 points came within the paint
Junior guard Nirra Fields led the Bruins in scoring with 11 points after starting slow when she missed a couple close-range shots. Close said that Fields’ shift to moving the ball around and taking smart shots showed her maturity as a player.
This is the Bruins’ second-straight win after starting off the season with a four-game losing streak. Seeing the team’s hard work in practice pay off in games is rewarding for Fields, who said that the team’s confidence is rising.
“We can hang with anyone regardless of whether they are No. 1 in the country or No. 100 in the country,” Fields said.