Friday, November 22, 1996
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL:
Game to be reality check for mostly freshman teamBy A. CinQue
Carter
Daily Bruin Contributor
The UCLA women’s basketball team opens its season Saturday at
the University of San Diego. The Bruins, leading this series 5-0,
last met the Toreros in 1994.
Head coach Kathy Olivier is faced with the unenviable task of
guiding this team without the veteran leadership of Nickey Hilbert
(who chose to forego her senior season to begin graduate school)
and Erica Gomez (out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate
ligament). "You can’t replace someone like Erica Gomez," said
associate coach Willette White.
Tawana Grimes, shooting guard and the lone returning starter, is
surrounded by four freshmen in the starting lineup. Maylana Martin
will start at the power forward spot, with Takiyah Jackson at small
forward, Carly Funicello at center and Melanie Pearson at point
guard. "We have eight people that haven’t played Division I
basketball yet," Olivier said, "We have a lot of young kids that
will get a lot of experience this year," White said.
Grimes had 99 assists last year and was second in the Pac-10
last year with a team-high 77 steals. She will be looked to for
leadership this year and is expected to improve on her 7.5
point-per-game average last year, according to Olivier.
Martin, meanwhile, enters the opener on fire, having shot 64
percent from the field in the preseason while averaging 24 points,
eight rebounds and 32 minutes per game. Pearson and Jackson also
performed well, each scoring an average of 11.5 points per
game.
Funicello is coming off a game in which she scored 13 points and
pulled down six boards in 20 minutes. Junior Aisha Veasly’s
preseason included 12 points and 12 rebounds in 23 minutes of
action. The coaches will look to her to continue to be their
defensive stopper off the bench.
Junior Jamie Oenning and sophomore Laura Tomich will see action
at the guard spots this weekend while transfer Carla Houser and
freshman Janae Hubbard look to help out at center. Freshman Marie
Philman will contribute at forward.
UCLA is looking to be more of a force on the road according to
Olivier, and this will provide one of the Bruins’ first road
tests.
"This game will definitely be a reality check. We want to keep
our numbers up and improve on them. We’ll see on Saturday how
things are going."
WYNN RUJIRAVIRIYAPINYO
Aisha Veasley is the Bruins’ defensive stopper.