Thursday, February 13, 1997
Riding high
The Bruins are in the top five in three conference categories:
rebound margin, free throw percentage (65.6) and steals (257).
UCLA has out-rebounded its opponents by an average of 5.5 per
game and has been out-rebounded only three times all season. The
Bruins’ greatest rebound margin came in their second contest
against Cal, when they out-rebounded the Bears, 47-19.
Tawana Grimes (76.7), Maylana Martin (74.3), Takiyah Jackson
(76.1) and Jamie Oenning (87.5) are the four Bruins shooting over
65 percent from the free throw line.
Grimes is tied for fifth among Bruins on the all-time list with
eight steals in a single game. Her 51 steals this year place Grimes
third in the conference, one place behind Aisha Veasley’s 59
steals. Grimes and Veasley are also 1-2 in minutes played on the
team with averages of 34 and 30 respectively.
Freshman forces
Freshman Melanie Pearson scored 37 points last weekend including
a career-high 21 against Cal to boost her average to 14.5 in her
five starts since returning from illness. Fellow freshman Takiyah
Jackson averaged 10 points and five boards against Cal and Stanford
last week.
Maylana Martin and Melanie Pearson are the top freshman duo in
the conference with 26.1 points per game. Martin, Pearson and Janae
Hubbard are the top freshman trio with 33 points and 14.6 boards
per game.
Miscellaneous
The Bruins have a total of 516 assists and steals combined, but
they have also committed 508 turnovers. Their turnover total places
them ninth in the conference.
* * *
The Bruins forced a season-low 14 turnovers both times they
played Stanford.
* * *
UCLA (10-10, 4-7 Pac-10) was 10-10, 5-6 last year after 20
games.
The Bruins have faced all nine conference opponents before and
have beaten only three of them.
* * *
UCLA has a chance to boost its 4-4 home record above .500 as the
team faces the Arizona schools this week. The Bruins were swept by
Arizona and Arizona State earlier in the season.
* * *
After the UCLA starters only committed nine turnovers against
Oregon State, they were back to their old tricks against the
Cardinal and the Golden Bears, averaging 24.
* * *
Four times this season, the Bruins have shot over 48 percent and
still lost, including a season-high 53.3 percent against
Stanford.
* * *
The Bruins are giving up five less points per game (68.8) than
last year’s team, but are scoring four less (68.1).
Compiled by Anthony Carter, Daily Bruin Contributor.