Elbows were being thrown and mouthpieces were nearly flying
out.
But when UCLA defeated USC, 68-64, the game suddenly had more
ramifications than just the last game of the regular season.
More than just a rivalry game, the matchup was a chance for the
Bruins to make a case to the NCAA selection committee that they do
indeed deserve a bid to the NCAA tournament.
UCLA (16-11, 11-7 Pac-10), which has now won seven of its last
eight games, legitimized itself as a postseason contender Sunday at
Pauley Pavilion. Though the Bruins will most likely need at least
one more win, by defeating the Trojans (15-12, 11-7), they have
kept their hopes of an at-large bid alive.
“If we didn’t win this game, in my opinion, we would
have had to win the tournament,” UCLA coach Kathy Olivier
said. “But now it’s different. Now I think we’ve
put ourselves in a very good position.”
With Arizona State, USC and Washington all vying for an NCAA
bid, the Bruins took a giant step toward separating themselves from
the pack with the victory.
In front of a rowdy crowd of 8,094, the largest audience to
witness a Pac-10 game this year, USC senior forward Ebony Hoffman
found the ball in her hands with the game on the line. Trailing
66-64 with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game, Hoffman
pulled up on the right wing for a potential game-winning
three-pointer.
The shot fell short and careened off the right side of the
basket, and UCLA’s Nikki Blue swooped in and wrestled for the
loose ball.
“We were trying to go for the win where they weren’t
expecting it,” USC coach Chris Gobrecht said.
“(Hoffman) had a pretty good look, but she just
missed.”
Sophomore guard Lisa Willis would ice the game with a pair of
free throws with just two seconds remaining, dedicating each one to
a Bruin senior.
“The first one I told (Jamila) Veasley was for her, and
the second one I told Whitney (Jones) that it was for her,”
Willis said.
As for third Bruin senior Gennifer Arranaga, Willis added she
would hit some threes for her next week at the Pac-10
Tournament.
UCLA found itself down by eight points with just seven minutes
remaining, but Blue’s play stabilized the Bruin offense as
she took it upon herself to carry the team.
Blue attacked the basket with a vengeance, giving the slower,
smaller Trojan guards fits on her way to a game-high 26 points,
seven rebounds and five assists.
“Our coaching staff did a good job in letting me know that
I need to take control,” Blue said. “I’m not a
big guard, but I’m bigger than their guards. … I think
I’m a little better than them (too).”
When the Bruins switched to the full-court press at the 8-minute
mark in the second half, the game’s momentum quickly switched
to UCLA’s side.
USC looked dumbfounded against the high-pressure defense,
turning the ball over virtually every possession down the stretch
on its way to 27 turnovers.
“We waited for the perfect time,” Olivier said.
“We wanted to get the game to the tempo that we like to
play.”
In addition to the press, the Bruins made an effort to get to
the free-throw line, and it paid off.
UCLA converted 26 of 29 free throws, while USC made just five of
six.
“You have to be kidding me,” Gobrecht said about the
disparity of fouls called. “That’s a typo,
right?”
Freshman guard Noelle Quinn added 18 points and six rebounds,
while Willis finished with 14 points and six steals.
With the win, UCLA, the fourth seed in the conference
tournament, will face Arizona State in the quarterfinals Saturday
in San Jose.
Although Olivier believes that the Bruins can secure a spot in
the NCAA tournament, Blue wants to ensure they are in charge of
their future.
“I’m not thinking about winning one, not two;
I’m thinking about winning all three,” Blue said.
“Then we can’t be denied. That will be our ticket to
the NCAA.”