The UCLA women’s basketball game against the No. 3 Maryland Terrapins was to be a measuring-stick game for the young Bruins.
Sunday afternoon, the Bruins came up just short.
The Bruins dropped to 3-1 on the year with a 79-75 loss to Maryland in a heartbreaker at Pauley Pavilion. It was a tough loss to swallow for an improving squad, who let a 16-point second half lead slip away against the 2006 national champions.
“We fought out there,” senior center Lindsey Pluimer said. “We’ll learn from this loss and grow from it.”
UCLA fought indeed, applying stifling pressure defense against the high-powered Terps for stretches of the game, including during a 13-3 run to take the lead at the start of the second half.
“They’ve proven themselves in the first few games,” coach Kathy Olivier said. “Down the stretch, (Maryland’s) experience showed.”
Maryland used prolific 3-point shooting, including a key basket by Kristi Toliver near the end of the shot clock, to cut into the Bruin’s momentum.
After the Bruins took a 67-53 lead with 7:00 remaining, the Terps caught fire, closing the game on a 19-4 run, including one stretch of 14 unanswered points.
Despite locking down Maryland’s interior presence for much of the second half, the Bruins were unable to capitalize when it counted, as the Terrapins re-asserted their rebounding strength, limiting UCLA to one-and-done shots down the stretch. The Bruins shot 1-11 in the final seven minutes of the contest.
“We talked about (quick shots).” Olivier said. “We’re still a work in progress. Am I disappointed? Yeah, I am.”
By playing the No. 3 team in the nation so close, however, the Bruins were able to take away several positives, taking heart in their resiliency and effort.
After trailing by as many as 13 in the first half, the Bruins built a furious rally to pull within seven points by the half. Many shots rattled in an out, drawing groans from the sizable crowd, but increased defensive pressure kept the home team close.
UCLA came out of the locker room blazing hot to start the second half, going on a 10-3 run to tie the score at 38. That’s when freshman Doreena Campbell caught fire, draining several key shots, including a 3-pointer to put the Bruins up by 10, 60-50.
Campbell, a native of Alexandria, Va., recalled rooting for the Terps as they won the national championship just two years ago.
Her shooting stroke was a big spark for the Bruins, who found some needed momentum as her 3-pointers fell.
“Doreena doesn’t care who we play against,” Olivier said.
Pluimer, who led the team with 17 points, was impressed with the play of UCLA’s young guns in the loss.
“Our freshmen stepped up,” she said. “They didn’t play like freshmen.”
Despite the close loss, Olivier remained optimistic about her team’s effort and its future.
“If we stay positive as a group, we’ll improve as a team,” Olivier said. “I don’t think we’ve reached our potential.”