Women’s golf takes second-place finish in return after a three-month break

The Bruins showed little signs of rust.

In its first tournament in three months, No. 12 UCLA women’s golf placed second at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, finishing with a score of 17-over 869. Despite rain in the first two rounds and heavy winds throughout the tournament, coach Carrie Forsyth said the team’s performance exceeded her expectations.

“It’s been a challenging week, but we stayed very patient,” Forsyth said. “The course and conditions were a total test of emotional stability.”

Three Bruins finished inside the top 10, with junior Clare Legaspi and sophomore Patty Tavatanakit tying for fourth. The fourth-place finish was Legaspi’s highest tournament placement of her collegiate career.

“I approached each round relatively the same way,” Legaspi said. “I think it was important to be as calm as possible, especially with the high winds.”

The Bruins shot a combined 7-over in the first round, leading the 16-team field by four strokes. Legaspi and senior Beth Wu each shot even par to pace the team.

UCLA improved its combined score by two strokes in round two, but the team dropped to second place. Stanford shot a 5-under Monday to take a six-stroke lead heading into the final round.

The Bruins pulled to within one stroke of the Cardinal in round three, but they ultimately remained in second place, two strokes behind Stanford. Junior Mariel Galdiano shot a 1-under 70 in the final round to finish tied for eighth.

“I had some misses with my driver this week that cost me some strokes, and I had some makeable putts that I missed,” Galdiano said. “Palos Verdes is always tough, and the conditions were very difficult. … I hung in there, but I know I can do a lot better.”

Tavatanakit competed in her first collegiate tournament since September. She was away from the team for most of the fall season as she participated in the LPGA Qualifying Series. Senior Lilia Vu left the team after qualifying for the LPGA.

“It’s very important to have (Tavatanakit) back in the lineup because she’s always so consistent with her scoring,” Forsyth said. “There’s some (aspects) she’s going to have to clean up a bit, but it was a good tournament for her.”

Wu placed tied for 16th at 7-over after shooting 3-over and 4-over in her latter two rounds.

Sophomore Vera Markevich finished in 83rd place at 34-over. By comparison, Stanford’s No. 5 finisher, Kelsey Zeng, shot 20-over and was tied for 63rd. Freshman Phoebe Yue, who competed as an individual, scored 28-over to place tied for 79th.

“We do get to bring six players to a couple of (future) tournaments, so we have a chance to get them both playing as much as possible,” Forsyth said. ‘My main goal for both (Markevich and Yue) is to get them playing at a higher level.”

UCLA will return to action Feb. 25 when it hosts the Bruin Wave Invitational at San Luis Obispo, California.

Men’s basketball not deceived by Colorado’s shooting as Buffaloes come to Pauley

Murry Bartow said the Bruins would stick to zone defense.

“Right now, we just think we’re better in the zone,” said the interim coach. “If you look at our numbers, we’ve just been much better in zone than we have in man.”

UCLA men’s basketball (12-10, 5-4 Pac-12) will host Colorado (12-9, 3-6) in Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday night. After allowing Washington to shoot 45.8 percent from 3-point range on Saturday, the Bruins will continue to play zone defense against the Buffaloes, who are shooting a conference-low 32 percent from deep.

Despite the lackluster shooting numbers, Colorado sits at No. 5 in the conference in points per game, and Bartow said that the Buffaloes are a worthy Pac-12 opponent.

“I think they are (better than their record),” Bartow said. “It’s a good Colorado team, Tad (Boyle)’s a great coach and does a great job with their team, so we’ll just have to play well.”

Colorado came to Pauley last year and handed UCLA one of its two home losses of the season, also beating the Bruins in Boulder, Colorado, a month later.

Redshirt junior guard Prince Ali – who was a starter in one of those two games – said UCLA needs to learn from last season and not overlook Colorado’s talent again.

“I don’t think their record was great last year and they swept us,” Ali said. “We’re in a league where if we play well, we can beat anybody, and if we don’t play well, we could lose to anyone, so we can’t take any game for granted.”

Colorado is fresh off a 22-point victory over preseason favorite Oregon, with guard Tyler Bey leading the charge with 27 points in 27 minutes. Bey – who is averaging 12.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game – went a perfect 9-of-9 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line.

Even in the blowout victory, however, the Buffaloes went just 3-of-20 from long range, and Bey didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer. It was the fourth time Colorado won a game this season while shooting under 30 percent from 3, while UCLA only has one of those victories.

Singleton vying for more playing time

Freshman guard David Singleton has just three turnovers in the Bruins’ nine conference games – and Bartow has taken notice.

“Number one, he’s our best shooter,” Bartow said. “We are trying to get (Singleton) more minutes, but there’s other guys in that 10-man rotation I’m trying to give more minutes to.”

Ali – who is also a 6-foot-4-inch shooting guard – said Singleton’s presence off the bench has been huge for UCLA.

“(Singleton’s) been playing well. He’s a nice spark off the bench, efficient, sniper, works hard,” Ali said.

Ali and redshirt junior forward Alex Olesinski are the two oldest Bruins on the roster, and Olesinski also praised the freshman’s shooting ability so early in his career.

“(Singleton) can shoot the lights out, so he’s been a big get for us and he’s been playing really at a really high level,” Olesinski said.

Singleton is not expected to crack the starting lineup Wednesday when UCLA tips off against Colorado at 6 p.m., but Bartow said he will continue to play him alongside sophomore guard Jaylen Hands in the backcourt moving forward.

Smith Says: Unreasonable expectations meant Lonzo Ball’s Laker tenure was doomed from start

Lonzo Ball’s time in Los Angeles appears to be coming to an end.

But that begs the question – why so soon?

The Lakers selected the former Bruin guard with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft after Ball put together a historic freshman season for UCLA in which he averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 assists and six rebounds per contest.

However, with the NBA trade deadline set to pass at noon Thursday, rumors of a blockbuster trade between the Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans involving superstar Anthony Davis have been swirling throughout league circles.

Ball is one of the many players expected to be involved in any potential trade package from the Lakers, and whether a deal gets done by Thursday or not, it is safe to assume Ball will not be around for much longer.

Despite a number of people – including myself – still believing in Ball’s potential as an NBA player, his tenure in the City of Angels seemed destined to fail from the start.

After he played high school basketball in Chino Hills, California, before attending UCLA, it felt as if there were some type of prophecy that Ball was supposed to fulfill by joining the Lakers.

However, the looming shadow of expectations and success that came with being a key part of one of the most prestigious organizations in sports was too much for Ball to overcome in just a season and a half.

Not only that, but a number of players selected behind him in the draft such as Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox and Donovan Mitchell have already blossomed into stars at the professional level.

That isn’t to say Ball has underperformed or failed to develop – he has just failed to meet the unreasonably high expectations of the Lakers.

Sure, his 3-point shot still needs work, and he’s only a 43.7 percent free throw shooter for his career, but Ball’s value is in everything else he does on the basketball court.

His rare combination of rebounding and passing skills – as well as his defense at the point guard spot – make him an outstanding fit in the modern NBA. Although his scoring numbers aren’t where the Lakers would want them to be, it’s undeniable that he creates plenty more opportunities for teammates with his playmaking abilities.

But it’s not just the expectations or the on-court performance that has hindered Ball’s professional career.

While he will be the first to tell you that his father, LaVar Ball, has not been a distraction to him directly, it is clear that LaVar Ball has rubbed the Lakers organization the wrong way.

Despite wanting Lonzo Ball in a Lakers uniform since before the draft lottery even happened in May 2017, LaVar Ball has already expressed to the media a number of times what he dislikes about the Lakers as a franchise and how it’s run.

Most notably, LaVar has been extremely critical of Lakers coach Luke Walton. Just on Tuesday, Ball said that Walton was the worst coach Lonzo Ball has ever had, and that Walton, “turned (Ball) into a loser.”

Regardless of what an organization says or does not say about a situation like this, it’s impossible to believe that it isn’t a distraction.

But again, these are all factors out of Lonzo Ball’s control. And unfortunately, no matter what the future holds for him, he will be followed by all of these past demons wherever he goes.

Whether he overcomes those issues or not is yet to be seen, but if there is one thing you need to know about Lonzo Ball, it’s that he has been winning his entire life.

Women’s basketball’s free throw shooting peaking as it reaches Pac-12 play midpoint

The Bruins are shooting at their highest free throw percentage all season.

UCLA women’s basketball (13-9, 6-4 Pac-12) defeated Washington State (7-15, 2-9) and Washington (8-15, 1-10) at home over the weekend – averaging 78 percent from the free throw line.

The Bruins rank ninth in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage, but second in free throws made per game. They would rank first in the conference in free throw percentage if they were shooting with the same success it had against the Cougars and Huskies.

Redshirt freshman guard Lindsey Corsaro said the Bruins are hitting their shots because they give each other confidence to score.

“I’m just grateful to have coaches and teammates who encourage me to shoot the ball,” Corsaro said. “They’re always telling me (to) keep shooting.”

The Bruins went 28-of-35 from the free throw line when they defeated Arizona in triple overtime Jan. 27.

Two Bruins rank in the top five in free throw percentage – sophomore forward Michaela Onyenwere and senior guard Japreece Dean.

Onyenwere averaged 90 percent from the charity stripe in the last 10 games. The forward averaged 82 percent in free throw shooting last season.

Dean tops the conference shooting 89.5 percent from the free throw line – good for 20.7 percent higher than her average last season. She went 5-of-5 from the charity stripe against Washington State on Friday to break a 16-year-old record.

The guard broke the school record for consecutive free throw makes when she made her 33rd free throw in a row, topping Michelle Grecco’s 32 consecutive makes during the 2002-2003 season.

“(I) tremendously admire (Dean’s) ability to step up in pressurized situations and hit free throws,” said coach Cori Close. “(I) know that we can get the ball in her hands and she can step up and make free throws.”

Dean is the Bruins’ third-highest scorer, registering 13 points in UCLA’s most recent game against Washington.

“We really emphasize turnovers and rebounding for us to win games,” Dean said.

The Bruins rank first in the conference in offensive rebounding, pulling down over 50 rebounds in two of their last three games.

“It is a lot easier to play on offense when you got (defensive) stops in a row,” Close said. “We started out in our player-to-player defense (and were) getting stops. We switched to our zone and continued to get stops.”

The Bruins forced 19 turnovers against Washington State. UCLA has forced an average of 16.3 turnovers in the last four games its won.

“We talk a lot about valuing the basketball and rebounding because we need extra possessions,” Close said. “Turnover margin and rebound margin are so important for us.”

UCLA will have the opportunity to continue its shooting success when it travels to Colorado on Friday.

Panel discusses Jackie Robinson’s legacy, role of social justice in sports today

A panel of Bruins, past and present, assembled in Schoenberg Hall to celebrate Jackie Robinson’s 100th birthday and discuss his dual legacy as an athlete and champion of social justice and activism.

The discussion was moderated by SportsCenter anchor Cari Champion. The panel was comprised of LGBTQ rights activist and former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, UCLA women’s soccer player Kaiya McCullough, sports curator of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Damion Thomas, and Vice Provost of UCLA Undergraduate Education and professor of African American Studies Patricia Turner.

The panel discussed a myriad of issues centered around social activism and politics in sports and society today.

“I really get upset when I hear that sports and politics don’t mix; that’s the biggest lie that’s ever been told,” Champion said. “The relationship between politics and sports is so prevalent and so obvious – that’s how it’s been and that’s how it’ll always be.”

Thomas added that sports in America have been ideologically entwined with politics at a foundational level since they began.

“People don’t think about sports as containing ideological content; they think about sports that’s something about fun and games or enjoyment, but that actually makes it an important vehicle to transmit messages,” Thomas said. “In the United States, sports are such an integral part of our educational system; the American sports myth is the idea that sports teaches values, discipline and character, and we attribute all of this socializing to sports.”

Occasionally, the panel compared and contrasted the experiences of modern athletes with the experiences of Robinson and tennis player Arthur Ashe.

“At the age that you’re at when you’re an athlete, you’re not out there leading or designing a movement,” Turner said. “Ashe and Robinson and others (got) involved as the civil rights movement was unfolding, and people were turning to them because of their visibility. Both responded in different ways, but they gave their voices and wrote checks.”

In 2012, Kluwe spoke out against a proposed Minnesota state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the state. Although the amendment was defeated and same-sex marriage was legalized in the state six months later, Kluwe found himself out of a job following two of the best seasons of his career.

“The NFL has the weakest players’ union of any of the major sports,” Kluwe said. “In order for the NFL to change, they have to view athletes speaking out on social issues as more profitable to their bottom line than keeping those athletes silent; that’s not going to change unless the people who put money in the owners’ pockets want that to change.”

Since his retirement, Kluwe has remained active in the Huntington Beach, California, community as a continued supporter of LGBTQ rights and as a stay-at-home father for his daughters, while his wife works as a social worker.

Champion and the panel continually highlighted the movement initiated by Colin Kaepernick and how his treatment by the NFL differed from similar situations in other leagues, such as the NBA. McCullough is one of many athletes who has followed in Kaepernick’s example and has led a similar movement among the women’s soccer team at UCLA.

“My call to action (was when) I saw on Twitter another video of another unarmed black man being shot; I just remember breaking down into tears,” McCullough said. “I was blessed that my coaches and my team had a really candid discussion and they tried to empathize with me; for me, that’s what it’s all about, empathy.”

The panel also offered ways to get involved in causing social change, with options that range from attending local school board meetings to engaging in civil rights-era protest methods.

“The thing is, if you want to be a part of forcing social change, you have to accept the fact that it will be dangerous and there will be consequences because you have to do things that make people uncomfortable,” Kluwe said. “Get involved with your local groups, try not to do anything that puts you on an FBI watchlist, but understand that in order to change things, you have to actually want to change them and that comes with consequences.”

UCLA Extension interim leadership makes promising progress in mending previous faults

With the departure of three deans and the voluntary exodus of 23 percent of its staff, UCLA Extension was careening toward a cliff with no one at the wheel.

And without a solid game plan, it might just be over the edge in half a year.

UCLA Extension is an invaluable arm of UCLA, providing accessible educational and professional certification options to the public at large. The institution is able to offer educational opportunities to the wider Los Angeles community, a crucial component in fulfilling the university’s duty as a public university.

But even as it offers these critical services, UCLA Extension has been dogged with administrative scandals that threaten to sink the crucial institution.

The quick work of an interim leadership team managed to stop the bleeding. However, the administration still has a lot of work to do if it wishes to avoid another near-cliff experience.

The destructive course of UCLA Extension’s administration began last year with staff grumblings over then-Dean Wayne Smutz’s allegedly unethical hiring practices. Some Extension employees purported Smutz would preferentially hire candidates he had previously worked with at Pennsylvania State University.

Extension also reported a projected $10 million loss in revenue for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Some employees felt this projected loss was the result of Smutz’s financial mismanagement, including his decision to raise class prices. Things were so bad that Scott Waugh, executive vice chancellor, turned to an external group to audit UCLA Extension’s management and organizational structure.

“I had to take out a small loan to pay for these courses,” said Meredith Bleveans, a community member currently taking UCLA Extension courses. “For people who are raising a family and working, it’s really hard to budget this. A lot of my classmates took out loans to cover this.”

By late 2018, it was exceedingly clear UCLA Extension was a sinking ship in need of a lifeline. Waugh announced Smutz’s retirement, which some employees allege was requested, would take place by Oct. 31. At the same time, the two former UCLA Extension associate deans quit to pursue other professional opportunities.

UCLA has since brought in its A-team to turn the school around. Waugh appointed Tom Oser, a visiting professor in technology management at the Anderson School of Management and a former CEO; Sonia Luna, executive director of the California NanoSystems Institute; and Carla Hayn, a senior associate dean at the School of Management, as UCLA Extension’s interim leadership team Aug. 1. The team was brought in with the express purpose of implementing audit recommendations for UCLA Extension and stabilizing the school.

Luna, UCLA Extension’s interim chief financial officer and interim chief operating officer, said the interim team has made a few key hires aimed at addressing immediate staffing needs, including a new director of human resources. Hayn, interim senior associate dean of academic affairs, said the team also flattened out UCLA Extension’s management structure with a renewed focus on transparency.

“We have immediate projects that we have approval to hire for,” Oser, UCLA Extension’s interim vice provost, said. “We have a very specific growth plan that is currently active so we can do it sustainably.”

The interim leadership has also turned the corner on UCLA Extension’s previously poor fiscal situation. The leadership team has been proactive about cutting redundant software programs and extraneous consultants, Luna said.

The team also went back to the drawing board with every multiyear contract the school was engaged in and renegotiated with vendors if it felt there was a better deal. Oser added UCLA Extension is diversifying its marketing channels in a more productive way than previous leadership had. Luna suggested this may cause the school to see an increase in revenue this fiscal year, and Oser added the school is not planning to increase class prices.

These are promising changes. There’s just one problem: The interim team is just that – interim.

At the end of the day, the changes the interim team implements are only successful if they are continued by the subsequent permanent UCLA Extension leadership.

If the university wishes to avoid repeating its past mistakes, it must handle the hiring of UCLA Extension’s permanent dean and other top administrators with special care. The new leadership should be composed of tried and true administrators who have already cut their teeth in various other UCLA departments. This will ensure not only that they are up to the task of taking on such a difficult project, but also that they have familiarity with UCLA Extension’s particular relationship with the university proper.

That’s crucial, given UCLA has already seen how damaging it is to install inept leadership in its flagship off-campus school. Whether it be involving the interim team in the hiring process to ensure permanent leadership shares its management philosophy, or implementing a rigorous transition process to ensure managerial continuity, administrators’ work isn’t done until UCLA Extension has a sustainable, productive long-term plan.

Despite its dramatic, demoralizing administrative problems, UCLA Extension can have its house in order and not share the fate of the Titanic.

All it needs is an experienced captain.

USAC’s declining textbook scholarships leave students with empty pockets

What was meant to help students pay for textbooks has now turned into something that barely helps students buy a third of one.

The Undergraduate Students Association Council’s Financial Supports Commission is offering 40 scholarships worth $50 each for this quarter. The scholarships began in 2008 as a way to help students pay for textbooks, providing 50 students each quarter with $200 to pay for books.

The program is being significantly downsized this year because the FSC has received less money than in previous years. This comes at a time when USAC is allocating more than $100,000 in surplus funding to student groups, despite textbooks being more expensive than ever for Bruins. The council has also provided thousands of dollars to student government organizations that may not even need the funding.

Expecting students to be able to cover textbook expenses with a $50 gift card is ridiculous. The cheapest textbooks for purchase are close to $60. Unlike the FSC’s scholarship, textbook prices grow every year. The scholarship is a nice thought, but it’s not enough to tangibly help students graduate without taking out extra loans.

For a council that is supposed to represent what students need, USAC seems to prioritize that the least in its agenda. If it really wants to put students’ money to good use, it should put vital programs, like the textbook scholarship, at the top of its to-do list.

At the beginning of the year, USAC had $17,000 in discretionary funds. Of that, $7,000 was reserved for stipends and potential materials for the Judicial Board, the student government body that hears USAC constitutional complaints. That left the rest of the offices with $10,000 to share with each other. The FSC was granted $2,000 for the entire year, which it used for these scholarships.

Over the last couple of years, the FSC has been given less money to divide up for its programs. Because of this trend, the number of people benefiting from the textbook scholarship has decreased. In fact, the office didn’t expect more than $1,000 for the scholarship before the funding windfall earlier this quarter.

It has even become habit for USAC not to devote discretionary spending to scholarship programs. Jay Manzano, the financial supports commissioner, said he did not think it would be fair to take more money from the $10,000 in shared office funds, because it’s money meant to be used by everyone in USAC.

“Discretionary funds are meant to be enjoyed by the majority of (the) council,” he said. “What I mean by ‘enjoyed’ is it’s a fund that’s accessible to every council member.”

For students, saving money is a good thing, but USAC officers seem to be the only ones who don’t know that. Although the extra funds have yet to be used, USAC has suggested getting massage chairs to improve students’ mental health. No student enjoys spending their money on overpriced textbooks, so instead of using the money for other things that most students won’t notice anyway, the council should provide students with more scholarships that are recognizable and actually worth something.

The sad part is Manzano seems fine with receiving little money for the scholarship, instead of strongly advocating for the council prioritizing programs students rely on.

“Now that we have made available surplus funds, the commission is going to explore options making our textbook scholarship more wide and more accessible to students,” Manzano said.

But the scholarship is nowhere near as helpful as it was in previous years.

Helena Cabrera, a third-year psychology student, said she would prefer fewer students get $200 scholarships than more students get $50 scholarships.

“There are people who are less fortunate. More money is better for everybody. It makes a bigger impact than $50,” Cabrera said.

Christine Tan, a second-year nursing student, said $50 would barely help cover the amount she spends on textbooks.

“$50 for a textbook is half a textbook,” Tan said. “It wouldn’t be enough.”

USAC appears to be aware of this issue and is working toward fixing it because it knows the scholarship is not enough. Manzano said there is talk among USAC members about putting the money toward something students very much need. One of the options discussed was providing Bruins during spring quarter with entrance exam prep books for the MCAT and LSAT. And the council has helped provide other useful needs, such as 460 iClickers and lab coats.

But when the costs are compared, iClickers and lab coats are worth less than $50. These expenses are sometimes also oriented toward specific UCLA students. After all, not everyone attending UCLA is a premedical or prelaw student.

The point of providing USAC offices with discretionary funding is to provide them the independence to pursue their platforms, but those initiatives should be guided by student needs.

While attempting to find ways to make the most of students’ money, USAC may have failed to serve the one group included in its name: the undergraduate students.