One of UCLA coach Kathy Olivier’s favorite athletes is
boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who is renowned for his rope-a-dope
strategy in the ring.
So far this season, Olivier’s Bruins have adopted
Ali’s formula on the hardwood, suckering in their opponents
in the early stages of games only to later run right past them,
even though Olivier would like to see her team fight from the
opening whistle.
That was the case Sunday afternoon in Seattle, where UCLA
allowed Washington to jump out to an early lead, but then used
fresher legs and a swarming defense to outlast and outclass the
Huskies, scoring a 74-63 knockout.
“It’s something we have a tendency to do, but
I’m not a big fan of that by any means,” Olivier said.
“You’re playing with fire when you act like
that’s the case, especially when you’re on the
road.”
Nonetheless with the victory, the Bruins extended their winning
streak to five games to open up the Pac-10 schedule and are
currently alone atop the conference standings.
While finding motivation to play games against lesser opponents
has been a recurring dilemma for UCLA over recent years, the Bruins
have had no problem overcoming their uninspired starts and beating
up on some of the conference’s weaker teams this season.
That’s because no matter who UCLA takes the court against, it
feels it has the advantage of being the more athletic ballclub.
When other teams want to slow it down, UCLA runs. When other teams
run, UCLA sprints.
On Sunday, the Bruins (11-3, 5-0 Pac-10) patiently watched as
the Huskies (6-10, 2-4) jumped out to a 22-12 lead in the first
half. After the Huskies’ initial offensive burst, UCLA, led
by sophomore Noelle Quinn, responded with an offensive barrage of
its own. Down 24-16, Quinn, who had a team-high 18 points, sparked
UCLA’s 21-2 run to close the first half, sending the Huskies
staggering toward their locker room at halftime.
“We score in bunches, where we just come flying at
you,” Olivier said. “We got on these binges, and then
all of a sudden and we take a breather, when the other team catches
up, and then we go on another one. It’s like
waves.”
In the second half, the Bruins continued to keep Washington on
the ropes, registering 14 steals (four each for Lisa Willis and
Nikki Blue) and forcing the Huskies to shoot a lowly 33 percent
from the field.
The victory over Washington, on the heels of Friday’s
89-69 win over Washington State, also eased concerns as to how the
Bruins would fare on the road in a hostile environment. With the
Pac-10 traditionally being a conference where it is very difficult
to win away from home, UCLA showed no signs of trepidation in its
first weekend away from Westwood.
Freshman Lindsey Pluimer, playing her first conference games
away from Pauley Pavilion, scored 14 points and pulled down seven
rebounds Sunday in another solid performance. Sophomore center
Consuelo Lezcano, who hadn’t seen much playing time this
season, had the best weekend of her young Bruin career, scoring
nine and six points respectively while playing 14 minutes in each
game.
Still considered a young team, the Bruins took a big step in
their maturation over the weekend, and now feel they’re ready
to take on the meat of their Pac-10 schedule.
“We haven’t played the big guns,” Olivier
said, “but what we have faced so far has prepared us for what
is coming up.
They know that with three consecutive games against conference
powers Arizona State, Arizona, and Stanford looming over the next
two weeks, the luxuries that have been afforded to them thus far
this season won’t come nearly as freely.
But after this weekend, they’re prepared for the
heavyweight battles.