Friday, December 28, 2018

UCLA women’s basketball searching for consistency in conference play

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The UCLA women’s basketball team didn’t appear slowed by its holiday break during Wednesday’s practice. The Bruins, with just days before their Pac-12 opener, returned to the court and responded to a daunting practice with high energy.

Cori Close was pleased.

Then on Thursday, facing a lighter practice before a game, the Bruins retreated. They lost focus. It was just what Close, the team’s eighth-year head coach, was worried about.

Entering Pac-12 play, which begins for UCLA at crosstown rival USC on Sunday, the Bruins are hoping to discover consistent urgency to compete in a conference that demands nothing less.

“You can’t prepare one way sometimes and one way other times (in the Pac-12),” Close said. “This conference will force you to learn the lessons of urgency. And you’re going to be taught through the pain of discipline or you’re going to be taught through the pain of regret.”

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The Bruins (7-5), who overwhelmed visiting Cal Poly 81-35 on Friday evening, have been taught several painful lessons already this season as they lost three straight games by seven combined points. The skid contributed to a four-game losing streak, UCLA’s longest in four seasons.

The fourth loss came in heartbreaking fashion as UCLA took a lead with 34 seconds remaining against Indiana at home on Dec. 2, but let the Hoosiers finish on a 6-1 spurt. Afterward, players and coaches noticed consistent dips in aggression while reviewing game film from the losing streak. Close, who challenges her team to not lose two moments in a row, refined practice to include more pressurized situations hoping it would coax out the team’s aggressive nature.

UCLA responded with four straight wins, including a 71-59 victory on Dec. 16 against Oklahoma State, an NCAA Tournament team from last season.

“We had a four-game losing streak, but that doesn’t define this team, that doesn’t define this year,” sophomore Michaela Onyenwere said. “It’s still really, really early, we still have a lot of things to work on, but we’re right on track to have exponential growth.”

As everyone adjusted to new roles during the nonconference season to accommodate the graduation of three key seniors, Onyenwere and senior Kennedy Burke emerged as UCLA’s go-to players, Close said. They lead the team in scoring with 14.8 and 14.7 points per game, respectively.

Onyenwere led the Bruins to their biggest win so far, an 80-69 victory over then-No. 14 Georgia on Nov. 14 at Pauley Pavilion. The Pac-12 All-Freshman team honoree from last year had a team-high 25 points in the victory and grabbed 11 rebounds.

When evaluating her team’s performance, Close inspects effort and passion plays, and entering the conference slate, she would like to see more of both.

“We’ve increased in that with our consistency, but to be honest with you, we need to take another step up,” Close said. “We play in the No. 1 conference in the country for women’s basketball and you gotta prepare like a champion.”

UCLA women’s basketball nonconference recap:

Record: 7-5

Big wins: Nov. 14 vs. Georgia, 80-69; Dec. 16 vs. Oklahoma State, 71-59

Big loss: Nov. 6 at LMU, 69-63

Up next: at USC, Sunday, 2 p.m.


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