With higher expectations placed on the women’s basketball
team for the first time in the last half-decade, even the most
meaningless exhibitions still hold significance. After a
disappointing 73-60 loss to Love & Basketball at home on
Sunday, coach Kathy Olivier and Bruin players aren’t casting
off the exhibition as an aberration, but rather understand that the
game was a good opportunity to gauge where they are as a team.
“These players have a lot of pride, and they don’t feel
good about losing, even if it is to Bruins,” said Olivier,
referring to Love & Basketball’s roster filled with UCLA
alumnae. “We’re going to take this as a learning
experience.” The Bruins have consistently been able to please
the home crowds with their run-and-gun style of play. But with
junior Nikki Blue still sidelined because of a twisted right ankle,
UCLA continuously turned the ball over early in the game,
collecting 14 turnovers in the first half. “We were forcing
and we were trying a couple of times to make it fun to
watch,” Olivier said. “We talked about it during
halftime to make sure to pass and play some boring basketball to
take care of the ball and be more productive, and they did a good
job in the second half.” The biggest question mark entering
the season concerning the Bruins was their depth in the frontcourt.
With Julia Pitts redshirting, UCLA has called on the younger
players to fill the spot. Thus far, sophomore Amanda Livingston and
freshman Lindsey Pluimer have comfortably adjusted to the role. The
6-foot-3 Pluimer showed no signs of anxiety Sunday in her Bruin
debut, scoring 12 points and snatching 11 rebounds.
“She’s going to get where she’s automatic,
it’s a matter of her getting comfortable and getting game
experience under her belt,” Olivier said. In just her first
game as a Bruin, Pluimer held her own on the inside while running
the floor with ease. The transition from the high school to the
college level didn’t seem to hamper her one bit. “It
went well, we came out a bit anxious,” Pluimer said.
“But we’re going to have a good season.” A
burgeoning star for UCLA continues to be sophomore Noelle Quinn.
Quinn, who earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors last season,
had a game-high 18 points, six rebounds and five assists.
THE HUE OF BLUE: With her warm-ups on the
entire second half, Blue continues to be hampered by her sprained
right ankle. She tried to give it a go in the first half, playing a
total of nine minutes. But Blue reinjured her ankle after
attempting to block an opponent. When she landed, Blue aggravated
the injury that has minimized her practice time during the past two
weeks. “I don’t know what’s more painful, the
ankle injury or sitting on the bench,” Blue said. “The
good thing is this is pre pre-season, and the season doesn’t
start until Miami, and just as long as I’m healthy for Miami
I’m fine. “I think I’m going to take the next two
days off to rest, because coach suggested I do that. I’m
pretty much day-to-day.”