Junior guard Thea Lemberger dove to the floor and groped for the loose ball, stretching her arms as far as she could, rolling onto her back. A grimace came across her face as the ball rolled further and further out of her reach.
But UCLA made sure it was just the ball, not the game, that slipped away from them.
Playing in its season opener and first game in the newly renovated Pauley Pavilion, UCLA women’s basketball overcame sluggish play in the first half to defeat San Diego State 66-52 on Saturday.
The Bruins got off to a hot start, fueled by senior guard/forward Markel Walker’s seven straight points to open the game.
“I let the game come to me,” Walker said. “I was just trying to get my team off to a good start and take open shots, then they fell, so I just wanted to help the team go and build momentum.”
That momentum quickly fizzled, however, as the Bruins, plagued by missed shots and poor rebounding, were unable to widen the gap on their early lead.
“In the first half we were rushing,” said coach Cori Close. “We weren’t letting our offense create any easier opportunities for us.”
UCLA (1-0) headed into the locker room at halftime clinging to just a four point lead after a late offensive surge by San Diego State (0-1).
But it was in the second half that the Bruins secured control of the game. UCLA’s offense began to click, as the team hit on half of its second half shot attempts. Freshman guard Kari Korver’s three-point shooting helped space out the floor and provided a jolt of energy to the previously stagnant offense.
“I felt like our team did a really good job and I appreciate them looking for me. The only reason I was open was because we have such a great post,” Korver said.
It was the strong play of UCLA’s post players that played the biggest role in the team’s win.
“We realized if we don’t rebound, everything becomes difficult for us. Defensive rebounding has got to be the cornerstone of our team, so I think … this has got to be a mainstay for us, and it wasn’t in the first half especially,” Close said.
“The biggest adjustment we made (in the second half) was rebounding the basketball on a more consistent basis and that truly was the difference in the game.”
After a disappointing season a year ago, UCLA’s season-opening victory gives the team not just a tick in the win column, but confidence going forward.
“As the first game, I think there was lots of team spirit and I think that there are some real bright spots, because I think our team has some experience that we’re so much better when our front line touches the ball,” Close said.
“In the second half we made some of those adjustments, and I think we got to get a taste of, wow, we can be really successful when we make that happen.”