Women’s basketball faces a defensive standoff against Notre Dame

These two teams seem to be on a collision course with each other.

On one side, there is the UCLA women’s basketball team, which prides itself on its defensive abilities. On the other, awaiting the Bruins’ arrival in South Bend, Ind., will be a Notre Dame team that does exactly the same thing.

So far in the early season, against weaker opponents, No. 12 Notre Dame (2-0) has put up numbers that suggest tonight’s matchup against the No. 15 Bruins (2-0) will be a defensive standoff.

In a recent effort against Moorehead State, the Fighting Irish defense allowed only seven points in the first half en route to a lopsided 91-28 victory. The performance followed another eye opener against New Hampshire, recording 36 steals and forcing 49 turnovers.

While UCLA’s numbers have not been as impressive, the team has shown that it can play dominant defense in stretches. After trailing at the half against San Diego State, the Bruins came out and held the Aztecs to only 16 second half points.

For some Bruins, the preparation for the Fighting Irish has been like looking into a mirror.

“It gives us a chance to show how many weapons we have, how versatile we are,” junior forward Jasmine Dixon said of the matchup, “Playing against somebody that’s almost equivalent to us … it makes it a better game.”

Coach Nikki Caldwell stressed after Sunday’s win against UC Santa Barbara that her team needs to start scoring from the post earlier in games. The lack of a Bruin presence inside during the first half let the Gauchos linger around until the final two minutes when they went on a threatening 10-1 run.

Caldwell has carried over that message and applied it to tonight’s matchup.

“This team has got to understand that we’ve got to get Dixon touches,” Caldwell said. “We’ve got to establish an inside attack. Whether that’s putting the ball inside or whether that’s driving the ball and getting in the paint.”

Add the tendency to run as another similarity between the two teams.

The Bruin senior guard duo of Darxia Morris and Doreena Campbell don’t mind running a fast-paced offense. Against Santa Barbara, UCLA had 14 steals, four of which were credited to Campbell and Morris, and neither of them hesitated to run the fast break and look for quick scoring opportunities.

According to Dixon, Notre Dame’s sophomore point guard Skylar Diggins likes to run, too.

“They get up and down the court just as much as we do … we’ve got to be aware of (Diggins’) location at all times and just be careful,” Dixon said.

Both UCLA and Notre Dame have not had much competition this early in the season and despite all of their similarities, their differences will no doubt show them where they stand and how they match up against postseason talent.

“It will be a big game, especially not just to play a top-ranked team but to play a top-ranked team in its own gym … to see how we will react to that,” Campbell said. “Either way, it will be a test. We’ll see where we’re at, what we need to work on.”