Pre-season wins buoy Bruin morale

Wednesday, November 11, 1998

Pre-season wins buoy Bruin morale

RECAP: Team defeats Slovakia after Australia, prepares for Notre
Dame

By Heidi Boehnlein

Daily Bruin Contributor

In its last tune-up before opening the season on the road
against Notre Dame, the UCLA women’s basketball team had another
impressive showing.

After a 111-51 victory over Australia’s Riverland Raiders in the
first exhibition game of the year, the No. 6 Bruins easily handled
Slovakia Monday night at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins fell behind in the first 10 minutes of the game, but
they came back with a strong second half to overtake Slovakia
82-55.

The Bruin total field goal percentage was 53, while Slovakia
shot only 37 percent.

"As far as the turnovers go, it’s something we can’t do," said
head coach Kathy Olivier. "We can’t turn the ball over 27 times.
There’s no way."

According to Olivier, the defense did better than anticipated.
She said that she was pleased with the transition defense, as well
as the team’s ability to keep the opponent off the foul line.

That defense forced 34 turnovers. Maylana Martin, Marie Philman
and Erica Gomez each had numerous steals to lead UCLA, which
totaled with 13.

Gomez, returning from a knee injury which had hampered her all
summer, returned to produce nine points and eight assists. Also,
the junior point guard attributed her eight turnovers to her
"timing being somewhat off," though she "felt great."

Juniors Martin, Philman and Janae Hubbard all scored in double
figures, with Martin achieving her second straight double-double
(13 points and 11 assists).

Olivier said that she believed the team would need some time to
adjust to Gomez’s quick pace and the added enthusiasm that she
brings to the game.

"With Gomez back into the mix, she gets people so excited that
they play … at a faster pace," Olivier said, "and we kind of have
to get adjusted to that."

Gomez also noted that the team’s communication needed to be
improved. Hubbard, who played very little in the first half due to
foul trouble, scored 12 of her team-high 18 points in less than 10
minutes.

"I felt good about it," Hubbard said. "I finally got into a
groove."

Hubbard did what she could to prove that being named the best
shooter in the Pac-10 by The Sporting News was no fluke.

The Bruin center was perfect from the free throw line, and
eight-of-11 from the field.

Philman also shot well, totaling 17 points. Philman also had
seven rebounds, second only to Martin’s 11.

With the two pre-season wins behind them, UCLA will next focus
on preparing for a big game against Notre Dame.

Gomez said she believes that the team will be mentally prepared
for the game, though it still needs to iron some things out.

"We play at the level of our competition, I think," Gomez said,
"and (Notre Dame’s) a pretty high-ranked team."

Is the team really ready for an opponent like 17th ranked Notre
Dame?

"We better be," Olivier said with a slight edge in her tone.
"We’re playing them on Saturday. I think (we’re also) mentally
ready. This team is a confident basketball team."BAHMAN
FARAHDEL/Daily Bruin

Junior forward Maylana Martin grabs the ball in a tight squeeze
between Slovan Bratislava players on Monday.

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