W. hoops ends season early in Washington
By Daily Bruin Staff
March 10, 1996 9:00 p.m.
W. hoops ends season early in Washington
By Emmanuelle Ejercito
Daily Bruin Staff
If one good thing can be said about not playing in the
postseason, it would be this – no more road games.
Playing without the services of two of its starters, the UCLA
women’s basketball team ended its season with an 88-81 overtime
loss to Washington State Saturday in Pullman.
The Bruins have lost their last seven road games and compiled a
1-8 conference road record. In contrast, when at home UCLA was
7-2.
UCLA’s 8-10 is three games better than last season’s
performance, as UCLA (13-14 overall) was one game away from posting
its first overall winning record since the 1993-1994 season.
UCLA’s two best offensive producers, leading scorer Nickey
Hilbert and Zrinka Kristich, the Pac-10 leader in field goal
percentage, watched the game from the bench due to violation of
team rules. Seniors Ricarda Kuypers and Allison Arredondo were also
kept out of their final game in a UCLA uniform.
After the first half, the Bruins trailed by only three points
despite the fact that the Cougars connected on six three-point
attempts and UCLA was 0-3 from beyond the three point arc and 0-4
from the charity line.
In the second half, the Bruins erased the three-point deficit
and with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game, took their
biggest lead, upping the score to 51-44.
But WSU (8-10, 17-12) responded with an 8-0 run capped by two of
Yvonne Kunze’s 18 points to recapture the lead. The lead swung back
and forth and with one minute left in regulation, the score was
tied at 66. With 33 seconds left, freshman Mari Burningham fouled
Cougar Jenni Ruff sending her to the line to shoot one and one.
Ruff, the leading scorer with a game-high 35 points, connected
on both attempts and WSU led by two.
However, UCLA had one last response as a jumper by Erica Gomez
fell in with 20 seconds left to tie the score at 68 and sent the
game into overtime.
WSU went on a 7-0 tear in the opening seconds of overtime from
which the Bruins never recovered. In overtime, the Cougars made 11
out of 13 free throw attempts and missed one basket in the entire
five minutes, while UCLA was 5-14 from the field.
Despite the loss, UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier applauded the
effort of the seven players who suited up.
"They stayed together, they fought for everything they got,"
Olivier said. "We had people playing major minutes, playing major
roles that really haven’t done that all year. I’m just so proud of
them."
In her last game in a Bruin uniform, senior Kisa Hughes played
all 45 minutes of the game, tallied her 10th double-double of the
season – 26 for her Bruin career – by leading UCLA with 18 points
and 12 rebounds.
"Kisa was awesome," Olivier said. "I would have to say that she
went out in style."
With the absence of Hilbert and Kristich, sophomores Tawana
Grimes and Aisha Veasley stepped up their games, each setting new
career-highs. Grimes contributed 17 points, while in her first
start Veasley recorded the second double-double of her career with
15 points and 10 rebounds. Veasley also established a new
career-high in steals, swiping six from the Cougars.
SCOTT O/Daily Bruin
Playing in her final game as a Bruin, Kisa Hughes led the team
with 18 points.
The Bruins have lost their last seven road games and compiled a
1-8 conference road record…when at home UCLA was 7-2.
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