All that was missing were the elephants and the funny red noses
because what started out as a seesaw battle nearly erupted into a
circus.
In one of the more memorable and bizarre games of recent memory,
the UCLA women’s basketball team battled in a frenzied Bank
of America Arena in Seattle to defeat conference rival Washington
64-59 Thursday night.
A nip-and-tuck contest in which neither team led by more than
seven points, the outcome of the game was decided on some very odd,
quirky plays that happened to go in the Bruins favor.
“There were a lot of weird happenings, a lot of things you
don’t normally expect,” UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said.
“It was a little bizarre.”
Down 54-50 and ceding momentum to Washington (12-9, 5-7 Pac-10)
in the game’s final minutes, UCLA (11-10, 6-6) pulled a
rabbit out of its hat when sophomore Lisa Willis hit a
three-pointer and was fouled when she was pushed out of bounds,
giving her the rare opportunity for a five-point play. Willis
missed the second free throw and had to settle for a four-point
play instead.
“I have never seen anything like that,” freshman
Noelle Quinn said. “I’ve seen a four-point play, but
never a five-point play.”
The peculiar events didn’t end there. On the ensuing
possession, Huskies’ leading scorer and reigning Pac-10
Player of the Year Giuliana Mendiola was fouled in the backcourt
and had a chance regain the lead for Washington.
The normally sure-handed Mendiola, the Huskies’ best
free-throw shooter at 80 percent, missed both her attempts from the
charity stripe.
And Washington’s misfortune was UCLA’s gain. The
Bruins grabbed the rebound off the second missed free throw and
found senior Jamila Veasley open for a lay-up on the other end to
capitalize on an improbable four-point swing, giving UCLA a
two-point lead they would never relinquish.
“I loved the effort,” Olivier said. “This is
probably one of the toughest places to get a win in the Pac-10, and
we’re going home with a win, and I’m pumped.”
The Bruins were led once again by Noelle Quinn, who posted her
third consecutive double-double with a career-high 25 points and 11
rebounds.
The freshman’s game has elevated when her team has needed
it most, and her inspiring play has not been lost on her coach.
“(Quinn) is on fire,” Olivier said.
“She’s carrying herself as a more experienced, older
player, and she just looks more comfortable out there.”
“Everything fell into place for me today,” Quinn
said. This was a really big win for us.”
Mendiola led the Huskies with a game-high 27 points, but she was
the only Husky in double figures.
Center Andrea Lalum, who scored 18 points against the Bruins at
Pauley Pavilion earlier this season, was held to nine points on
4-of-13 shooting.
“Beasley did an excellent on Lalum tonight,” Olivier
said. “She gave her fits.”