UCLA Women Impress

The early talk in women’s basketball this season was that the Pacific 10 Conference had improved and that UCLA deserved consideration for a top 25 ranking. But most of that talk was coming out of the West.

After UCLA’s stirring upset of No. 4 Texas, 63-60, Sunday in front of 1,525 at Pauley Pavilion, the talk is no longer suspect.

Riding a 27-point outburst by sophomore Noelle Quinn and a gritty effort by junior guard Nikki Blue, who scored nine of her 13 points in the second half while hobbled by a sprained right ankle, the Bruins (3-1) overcame a horrendous first half of shooting, the solid all-around game of Texas sophomore Tiffany Jackson (19 points, 15 rebounds) and whatever nerves tingled down the stretch.

“I am very proud of our team,� UCLA Coach Kathy Olivier said. “We’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point, and it’s nice to have a team of this caliber in Pauley. Our team really stepped it up and showed a lot of heart.�

It was Quinn who made the pivotal plays, grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring with 16.7 seconds left to put UCLA ahead, 61-60. Texas guard Nina Norman, who was fouled by Quinn on the next possession, could have put Texas back in front with six seconds left but missed both free throws. Quinn grabbed the rebound, her 11th, and was fouled with 4.7 seconds left. She made two free throws, before and after a Texas timeout, for the final points.

Quinn, who had made only three of 13 shots in the first half, was six for 10 in the second half and said she was concentrating so hard on her last two free throws that she didn’t even realize a timeout had been called. “But,� she added, “I felt comfortable at the free-throw line the whole game.�

The Longhorns, who knocked off No. 1-ranked Tennessee on Thursday, fell to 2-2.

“I thought we had things under control,� Texas Coach Jody Conradt said. “But we allowed UCLA to make some shots, get confidence and momentum, and in the second half it became typical of the kinds of games you struggle through when you’re on the road.�

It was UCLA’s first victory over a top 10 team since it defeated No. 8 North Carolina in the 1999-2000 season opener. Blue said Sunday’s victory was an extension of the good feeling the Bruins have had about themselves since they nearly defeated Minnesota, an eventual Final Four team, last season in the NCAA tournament.

“We haven’t forgotten about Minnesota,� Blue said. “This season we want to show that, hey, UCLA is here.�

The game could hardly have started worse for the Bruins, who in the first 11:40 missed 15 of 16 shots -- including four during their first possession.

The fact that Texas built only a 10-2 lead during that stretch was an ominous sign to Conradt.

“That’s where I felt we lost the game,� she said.

Although Texas led by as many as 17 points, at 31-14, in the first half, UCLA whittled the deficit to eight, at 33-25, by halftime.

“When we went to the locker room, we actually wished there was not halftime,� Olivier said. “We said it was going to be a game of runs. So even if we got down by a lot, we could also come back.�