UCLA bounces back against Ohio St.
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 25, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 ANGIE LEVINE Senior Malika Leatham takes
a jump shot during UCLA’s 64-60
victory over Ohio State. She finished the game with 15
points.
By Jackie Abellada
Daily Bruin Contributor
In a game of loose balls, smothering defense and errant plays,
the UCLA women’s basketball team came out on top against Ohio
State, 64-60, last Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
After the Buckeyes built a commanding 34-21 lead by halftime, a
series of forced and unforced mistakes, including several traveling
violations, cost the team its momentum and ultimately the game.
“We talked about how UCLA’s strength is in their
pressure,” Buckeyes head coach Beth Burns said. “I told
them they were going to come at us, and we’re just going to
have to try to handle their pressure.
“Our game plan did not change. We just got
fatigued.”
Michele Greco led the Bruins with a game-high 23 points.
Sophomore forward Jamila Veasley recorded her first career
double-double, posting 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Both teams started the game playing sloppy. The Buckeyes
committed 15 turnovers in the first half. And the Bruins were not
too far behind with nine. The only difference: the Buckeyes made
43.8% of their shots compared to the Bruins’ 30.3% in between
blown whistles, finishing the half on a 25-5 run.
UCLA 64
Ohio St. 60
But the second half was an entirely different story. The Bruins
came out with a new sense of intensity that put the crowd on its
feet. Opening the half with a 16-2 outburst, the Bruins captured
the lead, 37-36. They eventually took their largest lead of the
second half, 51-46.
“We talked about confidence at halftime and staying
focused,” Bruins head coach Kathy Olivier said. “We
kept our heads up and worked through adversity.”
But the Buckeyes would not relent. A D’wan Shackleford
jumper capped an Ohio State 9-2 run, putting the visitors once
again on top, 54-53.
However, the Bruins, unlike last year, were not exhausted by the
Buckeye comeback and were able to withstand the final surge. A
Greco layup at the 1:22 mark gave the Bruins the lead ““ and
this time for good.
With only 24 seconds left in the game and the Bruins holding on
to a mere three-point lead, Burns did what any other coach in the
nation would do ““ she opted to hack-a-Bruin on every
possession and make the home team earn its points on the free-throw
line.
Fortunately for the Bruins, with the game on the line, the
players were up to the challenge. Key free throw shots by both
Greco and Natalie Nakase in the last 15 seconds of the game sealed
the win for the Bruins.
“Those final free throws were all mental,” said
Nakase, a 52.2% free-throw shooter. “I felt really
confident.”
“A win like this helps me know that what we did this
summer, all the hard work we put in, was worth it,” said
senior center Malika Leatham, who finished the game with 15
points.
Lauren Shenck came off the bench to lead the Buckeyes in scoring
with 14 points, making four-of-seven in three-point range.
