Moniquee Alexander had no expectations coming into the UCLA women’s basketball game against Arizona last Saturday. Throughout the season, the freshman center has come off the bench and contributed a few points and rebounds for the team. Against Arizona, however, Alexander came into the game and helped lead UCLA to a 76-73 victory in her best game of the season.
In 22 minutes of play, Alexander scored a career-high 10 points and tied senior guard Noelle Quinn as the team leader in rebounds with eight. Statistics, however, were not what was on Alexander’s mind.
“I was trying to go for it and just play hard,” Alexander said. “Even if I messed up, I just continued to try to play hard. I didn’t even know that I had 10 points and eight rebounds until the end.”
Though the Bruins were ahead for most of the game, Arizona surged back to within one point toward the end. For the first time in her college career, Alexander found herself on the court during the final minutes of a close game.
“With 51 seconds to go, I was like, “˜Uhh … I’ve never been in a game at the end.’ I was kind of nervous, but it was a good feeling to be in,” Alexander said.
Alexander also credits her strong performance to her mentality of not thinking about every move and just going along with the game.
“As a freshman, I was really focusing on not thinking a lot, because when I think a lot, I make more mistakes,” Alexander said.
To remain a productive member of the team, Alexander noted that she needs to continue to play hard and develop more confidence on the court.
In order to continue her improvement as a player, Alexander has been focusing on her defense, and she shares her team’s mind-set that defense wins games.
“My uncle always tells me, “˜Work on your defense and offense will come.’ If you play defense hard, you’re going to score. I have really been working on my defense, and now everything is starting to gel for me,” she said.
One thing Alexander has had to get accustomed to in the college game is the lack of a height advantage. At 6-feet-6-inches, Alexander has learned that some of the smaller opponents she faces have other talents, such as speed or strength, that make up for height.
“In high school, you can basically punk people, but in college … there’s people stronger or as strong as you. It’s a battle every game, regardless of the height,” Alexander said.
While her transition to the college game has involved a lot of work, Alexander has had help throughout the season. She acknowledges the seniors on the team for their support, especially Quinn. Additionally, the team pairs freshmen players with “Big Sisters” from among the upperclassmen. Alexander’s “Big Sister” is Consuelo Lezcano, a senior center.
“Me and Suelo, as far as our position, we go against each other hard. She helps me spiritually, she helps me school-wise, and basketball-wise,” Alexander said.
By the end of the season, Alexander says that as she gains more experience and gets used to the team, she expects to improve.
“If I keep working hard, I will be a plus for my team, and that is what it’s about,” she said.