When the going got tough, one of the toughest got going.
With UCLA struggling to create offensively against a stingy Arizona defense, the Bruins turned to veteran junior guard Erica Tukiainen to provide an offensive spark. Her two clutch baskets early in the second half ““ a 3-pointer followed by a lay-up ““ stretched the Bruin lead from seven to 12 and helped propel UCLA (15-7, 6-5 Pac-10) to a 58-39 win over Arizona (9-14, 2-10 Pac-10) Thursday night.
Much like the Bruins’ previous game with Arizona, a 48-38 victory in Tucson, this game turned quickly into a defensive, physical fight to the finish. UCLA relied on its patented full-court pressure to hold the Wildcats to just 22 percent shooting on the night. The Bruins, however, were not much better, converting on only 39.3 percent of their shots from the floor. With the offense going cold, coach Nikki Caldwell knew that her defense would need to save the day.
“I thought we did enough defensively to be disruptive,” Caldwell said. “I’m very pleased with that, and I think Erica stepped up huge for us on the offensive end.”
It was Tukiainen who contributed enough on the offensive end to lead UCLA to a crucial conference win, putting them one game over .500 in Pac-10 play. She began her hot shooting night by nailing a 3-pointer to open the game, which was a sign of things to come. She made nine-of-12 shots on the night, including three 3-pointers to finish with 21 points, a career high.
“It felt really good (Thursday night),” Tukiainen said. “All of this week in practice it was about just shooting without thinking, without hesitation, and it worked (Thursday night).”
The game was undoubtedly a sloppy one, with players falling to the floor throughout the evening as a result of the physical play. The Bruins also committed 22 turnovers, leading to concerns about ball security.
“If anyone has any suggestions about ball control, please tell me,” Caldwell said to the fans in a postgame interview. “We really need to handle the ball a lot better.”
With the win, the Bruins looked to continue adding to their postseason resume. Because Arizona resides at the bottom of the conference standings, a win at home was crucial for a team that needs to rack up victories if it is to have a chance at making the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA senior center Chinyere Ibekwe had a special reason to look forward to the game with Arizona. Her sister, Ify Ibekwe, is a sophomore forward for the Wildcats. The younger Ibekwe scored 13 points for Arizona, which lost its 10th game in conference play.
“It’s fun to see my sister playing from the bench, but when I’m in there, I need to stop her,” the elder Ibekwe said. “We’re the Bruins, though, and we beat the Wildcats. That’s just how it goes.”
The Wildcats tried to come back against the foul-prone Bruins, cutting the lead down to just five points with about six minutes to play before the Bruins pulled out the win.
“I think we reacted well when they came at us,” Caldwell said. “It’s important for us to respond when they bring it to us.”
With the win, the Bruins hope to gain some momentum heading into the homestretch of conference play, starting with Saturday’s key matchup against Arizona State.
BRUINS TO FIGHT AGAINST CANCER: As is appropriate for Valentine’s Day, pink will be the color of the afternoon on Saturday. The UCLA women’s basketball team will be hosting the Carnival for the Cure in the J.D. Morgan Center as part of its day of awareness for the fight against breast cancer. The carnival will feature games, trivia, activities and much more.
Following the carnival, the Bruins will play a pivotal Pac-10 home contest with Arizona State in the “Pink Zone” game. For the occasion, UCLA will wear special pink and white uniforms, as they did a year ago against Washington. Fans in attendance can purchase a breast cancer awareness T-shirt for $10 and receive free admission to the game. Following the game, UCLA’s jerseys will be auctioned off, with the proceeds going toward three different charities to raise money for cancer research.
“This is something great to be a part of,” Caldwell said. “We can really help bring awareness. With the game of basketball, it’s important to play hard every time, because life is so short. Not everybody gets to run up and down the court everyday.”