It’s a rarity when a freshman can make an instant impact
on a team. But for a freshman to tally 15 consecutive double-figure
games and become the go-to option on a team, that’s just
downright extraordinary. Guard Noelle Quinn tallied a game-high 24
points against Arizona State, helping UCLA extend its longest
winning streak of the season to five games, with a 73-64 victory
Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion. “I remember during the
recruiting process that I told Kathy Olivier that I wanted to make
an impact early on, and I didn’t want to wait a couple of
years,” Quinn said. “This is what I asked for, and I
have it right now. I just want to take advantage of it.”
Quinn’s performance and UCLA’s recent success go hand
in hand, as the Bruins (14-10, 9-6 Pac-10) have hammered their last
five opponents by an average of just over 17 points per game.
Quinn, who is averaging 25 points, nine rebounds, 2.4 assists, and
2.2 steals over the last five games, set a new freshman record with
her fifth consecutive 20-plus point game, breaking the mark set by
former Bruin Ann Meyers. “We’re on a roll, and
it’s not just me personally. We’re coming together as a
team at the right time,” Quinn said. “I feel more
comfortable and so much more mature, and I think it has to do with
playing tough teams so early in the season. That has helped us
during conference play.” With the Bruins struggling in the
opening minutes of the first half, Quinn helped UCLA stay afloat.
Trailing 8-0 early in the first half, the “Big Three”
of Quinn and sophomores Lisa Willis and Nikki Blue sparked a Bruin
turnaround with their play on the offensive and defensive ends of
the court. A turning point for the Bruins came at the 7:44 mark of
the first half, when Willis made a steal and took it the length of
the court for a layup, giving UCLA a lead it would never
relinquish. Willis, who finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, and
five steals, feels the Bruins are finally finding their stride.
“We’re just taking care of business, and we’re
starting to understand what our offense is supposed to do,”
Willis said. “It’s a question of, “˜Can you stop
us?’ And today, (Arizona State) couldn’t stop
us.” For the second night in a row, UCLA found itself up
against an opponent’s dominating inside presence ““ the
Sun Devils’ 6-foot-3-inch Kristen Kovesdy. Just two days
after shutting down 6-foot-5-inch Shawntinice Polk, the Bruins
limited Kovesdy to 10 points. Although both senior Jamila Veasley
and freshman Amanda Livingston fouled out during the contest,
undersized senior forward Whitney Jones held her own down low.
“I kind of just keep moving and not let them feel me,”
Jones said. “It’s like I dance around them, so they
have no idea what I’m doing. Sometimes I don’t really
know either.” “(Jones) runs the floor like a
monster,” coach Kathy Olivier added. “Teams try to take
advantage of her height, but she plays like she’s
6-foot-3.” Blue continued to set the table for the rest of
her team, dishing out one of a game-high six assists to a streaking
Jones, who gave the Bruins a 15-point lead, their biggest of the
game, with just five minutes left to play in the second half.
“The most important thing is that we never doubted ourselves,
and we knew all along that whatever obstacles came our way, we were
still optimistic, even during the slump,” Quinn said.
“Five games in a row, what more can you ask for at this point
in the season?”
FAST BREAK: Quinn was named Pac-10 Player of
the Week for her performances against the Arizona schools. Quinn
has also knocked down 30 consecutive free throws, putting her two
short of Michelle Greco’s school record streak of 32. In the
last two games, UCLA has converted 48 of 52 attempts from the
charity stripe.