With 13 minutes left in the UCLA women’s basketball team’s home opener against Rice on Sunday, freshman Regina Rogers stepped up and stripped Owls’ star Valeriy Berezhynska near half-court.
Another freshman, forward Christina Nzekwe, hit the floor hard and grabbed the loose ball.
From the floor, Nzekwe found Nina Earl, a third member of the Bruins’ freshman class playing her first home game. Earl caught the ball in stride and hit a left-handed layup to give the Bruins (2-0) an 11-point lead en route to a 79-71 victory over Rice (4-1).
“That was nice,” coach Kathy Olivier said. “Basketball is a game of swings, and if you get momentum on your side you have to take advantage of it. This team gets really hungry out there.”
The play gave the Bruins a big boost and demonstrated just how important UCLA’s freshmen will be to their success this season.
On Sunday, it was freshman point guard Doreena Campbell who played the most minutes for UCLA (35), scored the most points (14), and tallied the most assists (six).
Starting for the first time in her college career, Rogers was a force inside and hit all six of her free-throw attempts.
Earl provided a major spark off the bench, scoring 11 points in 25 minutes.
Another freshman, point guard Darxia Morris, started the game and would have played more if it weren’t for foul trouble.
“We’re young, but I feel that our freshman have adjusted to the college level,” said forward Lindsey Pluimer, the team’s only senior. “We’re learning from each game and we continue to grow.”
Rice challenged the Bruins throughout the game. In the first half, the Owls had an eight-point lead before a Campbell 3-pointer sparked a UCLA comeback. The Bruins led by five at the half and did not trail in the second half.
The key area of the game was the post, where UCLA was able to dominate. Berezhynska, Rice’s 6-foot-4-inch top scoring threat, played just 17 minutes because of foul trouble.
In her absence, the Bruins were able to run their offense through the post. Their post passing was sharp and their perimeter players were able to penetrate confidently.
The Owls’ guards kept them in the game with lights-out shooting. Junior Maudess Fulton had 27 points and went 11-21 from the field. Point guard Kadie Riverin had 13 points and 11 assists despite suffering an ankle injury in the first half.
If there was one key player in the game, it was probably Campbell. She played like a veteran, handling the Rice press with ease and sinking all of her free-throw attempts.
“Doreena has done a great job in taking care of the ball,” Olivier said. “Her (stat) line is just unbelievable for a freshman … six assists and no turnovers.”
Pluimer also noted the importance of Campbell’s play at the point.
“(Campbell) brings calmness as a point guard,” Pluimer said. “She likes to push, but she has a way of calming things down. She has great awareness of the court.”
Campbell has been splitting time at the point with Morris, and even after her big debut at Pauley Pavilion, she acknowledged that she isn’t necessarily the set starter.
“It’s more about the flow of the game,” Campbell said. “It’s who we’re playing at the time and what we’re doing at the time. Coach makes the decision, and from there we just go with it.”
Pluimer was also a floor leader for the Bruins, finishing with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. She played both forward and center in the game.
“Lindsey’s strength right now is her versatility,” Olivier said.