On the outside of the top 25 for the first time since their
upset victory over Texas in late November, UCLA women’s
basketball coach Kathy Olivier and her team are adjusting. The
Bruins, who split their Bay Area trip with a victory over Cal, are
coping without sophomore leading scorer Noelle Quinn, who will miss
at least another month with a knee injury. UCLA (11-6, 5-3 Pac-10)
has called on guards Lauren Pedersen and Ortal Oren to fill the
gaping hole. Pedersen has been the biggest surprise as a freshman.
After averaging 11 minutes per game prior to the road trip last
weekend, Pedersen saw 22 minutes of action in her first career
start against the Bears. Despite hitting 3-for-6 from beyond the
arc, the 5-foot-10-inch guard was torn between being glad or gloomy
over getting the start. “It was a little nerve-wracking, but
I think it’s the same as coming off the bench,” said
Pedersen on starting. “Either way you have to do your part
and contribute whatever way you can. Unfortunately, I would never
want to start this way. We have our best player going down.”
Oren struggled in the Bruins’ loss against Stanford on
Thursday. Turning the ball over six times, she went for 2-for-7
from the field in 18 minutes of play. Olivier said she will be
using the guards on a rotating basis depending on each
player’s response during practice. “They’re kind
of splitting minutes, kind of making one person from the both of
them,” Olivier said. “But because we beat Cal,
I’ll probably keep Lauren in the starting lineup. But as much
as I say that, it goes by the week. If one of them has a superior
practice over the other one, then I would end up starting that
person.” As for the floor leader, junior guard Nikki Blue
feels that both guards bring different contributions to the team.
Blue said that the extra playing time for Pedersen and Oren would
help the team in the long run. “It not only gave them
confidence, but it gave me confidence knowing that there are so
many options that we can go to,” said Blue, who finished with
14 assists against Cal. “Ortal has a bit more experience than
Lauren, but Lauren, even though she’s a freshman, can flat
out play. She’s got a great jump shot. Versatility helps us;
one can shoot more, one can drive more. As far as contribution to
the team, both contribute equally.”
COMING ALIVE: Sophomore forward Amanda Livingston had a career
game, scoring 23 points on 11-for-13 shooting from the field
against Cal. Not usually known as a scorer, Livingston ran the
court well and beat her opponents down the court for easy
transition buckets. With Quinn out, the Bruins need whatever help
they can get on the offensive end. “I’m not going to
get too excited. It was just one game,” Livingston said.
“I’m going to try to carry it to the next game and be
more consistent. It’s going to be a group effort and
I’m going to continue to step up and do what I can.” In
what Olivier felt was a must-win game, Livingston’s
performance was a pleasant surprise, considering she is known more
as a defender. “Her biggest strength is her defense, and she
helps us the most on defense, and the other thing she does well is
rebound,” Olivier said. “It’s bonus points when
she scores. She definitely has a nice shot and runs the floor well,
so I think she’ll continue to get points.”