Bruins decisively beat Slovakian team
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 6, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 MARY HOLSCHER UCLA center Malika Leatham
shoots over Delta Kosice forward Veronika
Garcarova. UCLA 83 Slovakia 56
By Adam Titcher
Daily Bruin Contributor
Slovakia brought a bloody and bruising European style of
basketball to America, only to get butchered by UCLA’s
women’s team. In an 83-56 rout, UCLA showed improvement from
last year, while the Delta Kosice were left begging for mercy.
“We were like a lamb getting slaughtered,”
Slovakia’s assistant coach Daniel Vendridcowky said.
In contrast, UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier felt her team showed
significant improvement since last season.
The Bruins opened with an 11-3 run that set the tempo for the
whole game.
“What a difference a year makes,” Olivier said.
“We definitely look like we know what we are
doing.”
The team played aggressively as well, forcing Slovakia into foul
troubles early. UCLA received 47 free-throw attempts in the game,
converting 70.2 percent, and four Slovakian players fouled out.
“We gotta give them credit because they came out here and
gave it their best,” Olivier said of the Delta Kosice’s
rally to make it 39-35 UCLA at the half.
But after halftime, the Bruins took no prisoners, as they were
able to separate themselves from their European challengers.
An 11-0 run in the first minutes of the second half pulled UCLA
ahead for good.
“We did not fold in the second half like we have in the
past,” senior guard Michelle Greco said.
Greco finished with a game-high 23 points and added four
steals.
Riding a 19-0 run late in the second half, the Bruins continued
onto victory outscoring Slovakia 44-21 in the second half.
“I just want to make myself available to the team,”
UCLA senior center Malika Leatham said after drawing five Slovakian
charges. Leatham scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
“This team needs to learn how to win,” Olivier said.
“We want to come out with the “˜W’ every
time.”
