They first considered it while lifting weights over the summer.
It was in the back of their minds as they struggled through a
disappointing preseason. They never gave up on it even after a
disheartening three-game losing streak in early February.
And now, with their careers nearing an end, a berth in the NCAA
tournament is within reach for the five seniors on the UCLA
women’s basketball team.
If the No. 4-seeded Bruins (17-10, 12-6 Pac-10) can defeat No. 5
Oregon (12-15, 8-10 Pac-10) in the first round of the Pac-10
Tournament on Saturday, they would have a good chance of making the
field. A UCLA victory in the semifinals, likely against No. 9
Stanford, would probably clinch a bid.
“It would be hard for the selection committee to turn us
down if we win one more game,” head coach Kathy Olivier said.
“Two would get us in for sure.”
UCLA finished fourth in the Pac-10 and posted 12 conference
victories, usually a sufficient total to earn an NCAA bid. But the
Bruins’ bloated No. 69 RPI coupled with a mediocre 5-4
nonconference record has left the squad squarely on the bubble
going into the conference tournament.
While the Bruins have won five of their last six and appear to
be peaking at exactly the right time, there is still work to be
done.
“We have to beat Oregon and then avoid getting killed in
the next round,” Olivier said. “You have to show that
you are playing well towards the end of the season. That’s
one of the things the selection committee takes into
consideration.”
Last season the Pac-10 received just two NCAA bids, the lowest
number in the history of the conference. After a much stronger
nonconference performance this year, coaches around the league are
expecting to double that total.
Even USC’s Chris Gobrechdt ““ perhaps the
Bruins’ most outspoken critic during the regular season
““ heaped praise on her crosstown rivals during Monday
morning’s Pac-10 teleconference.
“Anyone that gets 12 wins in the Pac-10 ought to be
in,” Gobrechdt said. “A strong showing in the
conference tournament would help UCLA a lot, but they ought to be
going no matter what.”
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The Pac-10 will announce its Player of the Year Thursday
morning, and UCLA senior guard Michelle Greco is one of the
front-runners.
As the conference scoring champion, Greco averaged 19.2 points
and 4.9 rebounds per game. She also led the conference in steals
with 75 during the season.
Greco should receive stiff competition from the
conference’s three other marquee players: Stanford’s
Nicole Powell, Arizona’s Shawntinice Polk and
Washington’s Giuliana Mendiola.