Despite strong defense, squad loses offensive game to USC
By Daily Bruin Staff
Feb. 11, 2001 9:00 p.m.
USC 61 UCLA 56
By Scott Schultz
Daily Bruin Contributor
The Bruins’ defense was a mass of arms and traps Saturday,
which forced USC into making 26 turnovers. UCLA’s inability
to make free throws, however, particularly in the second half, cost
them the game 61-56 in front of a crowd of 2,136 at the Los Angeles
Sports Arena.
UCLA (3-18, 2-8 Pac-10) shot an inexcusable 7 for 21 from the
line, including an embarrassing 3 for 12 in the second half.
“We cannot afford to miss free throws on the road, if you
expect to win,” UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier said.
The Bruins got off to a quick start, holding USC (8-11, 3-6)
scoreless for more than five minutes early in the game while
building a 13-6 lead.
While the Bruin defense remained absolutely relentless, their
offense came to a complete halt. UCLA went more than seven and a
half minutes without scoring and allowed Troy to build an 18-13
advantage. The Bruins never regained the lead. USC went into the
half ahead 34-26.
“The thing about this team is that they’ve really
made a team commitment to defense. They’re excited to play
defense,” Olivier said. “Now I’ve got to get them
excited to play offense and execute and run the right
plays.”
In the second half, the Bruins came out playing a fierce,
scrappy defense, led by sophomore point guard Natalie Nakase and
the omnipresent Kristee Porter, who was repeatedly leaping from the
post to the perimeter, misdirecting Trojan three-pointers in a
single bound.
Porter had two blocks, three steals, a bunch of deflections,
while displaying a rapid maturity and aptitude for playing defense.
She avoided picking up any fouls in the first half, which enabled
her to remain on the floor for a career-best 39 minutes.
“My focus coming into the game was not to give any cheap
fouls, but I still wanted to play aggressive,” Porter said.
“Each game I get more comfortable in the defensive and
offensive sets.”
Nakase, who had neither an assist or a steal in the first half,
came out of the break with fire shooting out of her heels. She had
six assists and three steals while playing an aggressive style of
play that infuriated many of the Trojan faithful in the stands, who
remembered when she got in a scuffle with a Trojan during the first
game at Pauley.
“I wanted to get in another one too, but then I figured
I’d play smart,” Nakase said with a smile.
In the second half, the Bruins came out inspired. They scored
the first six points to bring them within a bucket. But then UCLA
surrendered an 11-2 run, allowing Troy to built their lead as high
as 11.
UCLA, however, made another comeback.
“The thing with the Bruins is they never quit, and you
know they’ll come back,” USC head coach Chris Gobrecht
said. “No lead is ever safe with them. They play with the
abandonment of a team with nothing to lose.”
UCLA came as close as 47-46, and stayed within three points for
most of the final eight minutes of the game. But the Bruins’
complete lack of ability to make free throws denied them the
opportunity to retake the lead and win the game.
“We run out of gas at the end,” Olivier said.
“We’re taking so much effort to get back in the game
and that’s where the little things go down the tubes, like
blocking out and the free throws. Those are things that take more
focus.”
Although the Bruins have a losing record and remain winless on
the road, they still display the swagger of a team that can stand
toe to toe with any of its Pac-10 opponents.
“I feel we can beat anybody in our conference,” said
junior guard Michelle Greco, who led all scorers with 26 points on
12-for-24 shooting.
“I think it comes down to a couple plays offensively and
knowing that these are really key possessions for us. We have to
execute; unfortunately we haven’t been doing that.”
