The bell has rung, and it’s time for round two.
As this weekend’s set of conference games approaches, coaches and players sit in their corners, bruised but not beaten. Each squad scouts for weaknesses, looks to heal its wounds and strives to improve. Now, each team is looking for the knockout.
With half of the Pac-10 season over, the standings present few surprises. The Bay Area teams are dominating as expected, with California leading the way with their unblemished 9-0 record, while Stanford lurks close behind at 7-1. The Cardinal’s only conference loss came on the road at their rival Cal.
High-powered Arizona State, a team that has become an annual contender in the Pac-10, sits in third after dropping two close home games to the Bay Area schools, with UCLA and USC rounding out the top five.
UCLA coach Nikki Caldwell said she believes her Bruins are in a good position as they approach Sunday’s big game at USC. The Bruins currently sit at 5-4 in the Pac-10, good enough for fourth place.
“We’re very pleased with where our team is in regards to our record,” Caldwell said. “I’m very excited to see how we’ll finish up in the second half of Pac-10 play. It’s been a battle.”
Caldwell knows, however, that her team will need to grab a marquee win over one of the conference’s elite squads to make a stronger case for an NCAA tournament bid. UCLA’s schedule should be favorable toward achieving that goal. The Bruins will get the top three teams in the Pac-10 ““ Cal, Stanford and Arizona State ““ at Pauley Pavilion in the second half of the conference schedule. The Bruins beat Stanford at home a year ago and lost a close overtime game to Cal two days later.
“I think it’s important for us to come out and establish ourselves in the upper echelon of this conference,” Caldwell said. “It would be a great win for us and give us that win over a top-ranked opponent. That would only help us in trying to get a bid for March Madness.”
Meanwhile, the other coaches looked forward to continuing conference play, with the opportunity to play teams for the second time. Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer likes the direction her team is heading after sweeping the L.A. schools at home last weekend.
“Our team is making some big improvements,” VanDerveer said.
California coach Joanne Boyle has successfully guided an extremely talented team to an undefeated performance in the first half of conference play. While the Bears are now a team with a target on their backs, Boyle knows that road wins are crucial.
“We are trying to get ready to head up to the Washington schools this weekend on a big road trip for us,” Boyle said. “We took a day off yesterday. Our team had two tough games last weekend.”
Charli Turner Thorne of Arizona State thinks that her team’s health is nearly back to full strength after suffering through injuries early on. With a full lineup, she said the Sun Devils will be more dangerous the second time around.
“Everybody is going to have a huge sense of urgency around here. No one is just going to lay down,” Turner Thorne said.
Rival USC is looking to improve their health as well, and with a bevy of talent, the Trojans will aim to make a move in the second half of conference play.
“We’re looking forward to starting off the second half of conference play. Looking forward to playing UCLA at the Galen Center on Saturday,” Trakh said. “That’s been a great game for the many times we’ve played.”