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Thursday, January 29, 1998

UCLA backed into Redd corner by outstanding Husky player

W.BASKETBALL: Past Bruin wins at Edmundson were few, but team confidence still runs high

By Chris Umpierre

Daily Bruin Contributor

When the UCLA women's basketball team travels to Edmundson Pavilion to take on the Washington Huskies tonight at 7 p.m., it hopes not to be seeing red during the game.

Jamie Redd, that is.

The junior Bruin-killer has lit up UCLA in recent years. Last year, she averaged 26 points per game, seven rebounds and 4 assists in two games against the Bruins.

In last year's game at Washington, she had the Bruins reeling after the game as Redd torched UCLA for 31 points on 9 of 18 shooting en route to a 98-75 Husky victory.

"She plays like USC's Kristin Clark," UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier said, whose team couldn't stop Clark last Friday night as she poured in 25 points. "She can either beat you on the outside or blow right past you."

Redd's game has gotten better this year, as she is second in scoring in the Pac-10 with her 20.7 points per game. She is the reason why the Huskies are 12-4 overall and 3-4 in the Pac-10.

But Redd will be facing a much different UCLA team this year. The Bruins (10-6, 5-2) are playing the program's best ball in recent years as they are winners of eight of their last 10 games.

Redd will also have to contend with Erica Gomez, who returned this year for the Bruins after a knee injury made her sit out last season. Gomez, the 1996 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, is back to her old form this year as she has dished out 5.3 assists and garnered two steals a game at the point guard position.

"Jamie Redd and I have a little rivalry going," Gomez said, who beat out Redd for Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors in 1996. Olivier has told Gomez, who will be guarding Redd, and the rest of the Bruins to keep the All Pac-10 first teamer on the perimeter. Which might not be such a good proposition, as Redd has made 38 three-pointers, which has her at the top of the Pac-10 in that category.

"We are going to make her beat us from the perimeter," Olivier said. "We are going to try to stop her penetration and make her shoot the long bombs."

In addition to dealing with Redd, the Bruins will have to deal with the 5,000 people expected to fill up Edmundson Pavilion, a court the Bruins haven't won on since Feb. 8, 1994.

In fact, UCLA has only beaten Washington at Edmundson three times in school history (the schools have met on the court 12 times). The UCLA women's basketball program is just 5-19 against Washington.

After they deal with Redd and the Huskies, the team will travel to Pullman on Saturday to take on Washington State (9-7, 3-4).

Olivier likes UCLA's chances of sweeping the weekend's games.

"We'll bring our brooms and hope everyone is riding the same broom," Olivier said, who's team is 3-0 on the road in the Pac-10.

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